Waiting for the Bus
by Han dj
Summary: Regina is tired of betrayal so she left storybrooke. Swanqueen.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Fanfiction, hence author owns nothing but hopefully, the plot. Title base on a Filipino Local song by e-heads, Waiting for the bus.

Summary: Regina is fed up with her life always going against her, so she needs a new beginning and she just know what she exactly needs. Cross the barrier and lose all her be damned.

I know there are a lot of stories out there were Regina crossed the line, some forgets, some doesn't, I want to write my take on this idea, stepping out of the townline, betrayal, etc etc., but as you know, I am not good with angst, so there maybe none. Not gonna be a very long story, probably as long as three times the charmed... kanna.

To be safe, M. No beta still. Right after the Cricket game (No Cora, Hook perpetrated it all).

One

It was a mistake you said, but the cruel thing was, it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you.

\- David Levithan, The Lover's Dictionary.

-0-

Regina, now ex-mayor of Storybrooke has her back leaning at the side of her car. She had parked outside of King George's mansion, former DA and adoptive father of David, who decided to stick with Nolan instead of being linked to the old ex-royal. Eyes red rimmed, she cares not if the man saw it, she is hurting... after all the good deeds she tried to sow, betrayal was 'their' answer. The fruit really never falls far from the tree, she mused. But Emma's betrayal wasn't enough to drive her out of Storybrooke, she could just ignore Snow's spawn, but the mere fact she took her son away from him, and that son believed his biological mother's story without second thought stings. It seemed ten years of loving the boy, giving him everything, giving him more than what other children have... they are all nothing. SHE is nothing to him, she feels like an old rag that was tossed out when she's not so useful anymore.

Well, he has grown, he is healthy, educated, he doesn't need her protection anymore, doesn't need her when he gets nightmares... no, Emma Swan swooped in with nothing to show but her family tree, and now she's a pariah in her son's eyes.

Correction, it is noted that from six days ago, Henry is not her son anymore, and he is probably enjoying it. He's probably celebrating at this moment for finally ridding himself of the Evil Queen. And the Charmings are celebrating with him, encouraging him.

Her further musing was cut short by the presence of the man she came for,

"I don't get why I should help you, you are on their side."

She sighed, "Haven't been out for a while are you?" she watched him shake his head, "I apparently killed the cricket, hence, now I am once again the Evil Queen, not that I was treated otherwise."

One light colored brow rose, "I see," he grinned, "If I help you out, you will keep your word not to return to Storybrooke?"

"Yes," yes, she had made her decision, she's leaving Storybrooke, and if that means all her memories be erased, being the caster of this curse, so be it.

"And the mansion..."

"In exchange..."

"Even in a cursed town, it is indeed great to have power as a DA isn't it?" Rolling of dark eyes from the ex mayor was the answer, "Anyway, his name is Martin,address and contact number is here, he knows what to do once he read this." he said handing Regina an envelope, "I guess you will need this, a letter and direction, since you are losing your memory. I maybe evil like you Queen Regina, but also like you, I keep my word."

"Thank you,"

"Remember, I have the right to hunt you down and have you killed if you so much as put a finger inside the town line. That is our deal."

"I hope you put that in writing since I will be losing my memory once I go out of town."

He grinned, "I made sure of that of course." And without anymore word he turned to go back to his house, he stopped midway, "No need to leave the key, I'm having the mansion's lock changed."

No sense in prolonging her pain, so she too turned her back and went in her car, started the engine and drove towards the townline. A few meters from the townline and the Storybrooke sign, she stopped, took a deep breath and close her eyes.

She has no idea what the curse would do to her, she just deduced that since she has no cursed memories, that means everything will be wiped out, unlike the rest of the Town citizen minus Emma and Henry. She breathed out and opened her eyes, turn her head to look at the things she cramped inside the mercedes, satisfied she has everything she needs, she nodded her head and slowly drive.

-0-

She felt nothing.

Where she expects pain, there was none.

But the pain that should have gone away...

"Noooo!"

-0-

"Damn it!" Emma Swan cursed as she enters the apartment followed by Henry. The two just got back from New York with Mr. Gold, and along with them was his son, who surprisingly was Neal Cassidy, Henry's biological father. The boy had an argument with Emma but was resolved immediately, though now, Neal wanted time with his son and she was reluctant to give in... what would Regina say?

And speaking of the woman, she and the rest of her family owes the woman a huge apology, the damn pirate abducted Archie by posing as Regina. She knew he has no magic, so he must have help, he attacked Rumpelstiltskin, or Mr. Gold while in New York and is now in grave danger. The poison Hook used has no antidote in this world, unless they go to Neverland, then Rumpel is one sure dead man. He is now in jail, the pirate, and her father has been assigned to watch him. Neal is with his father and Belle and she, here in the apartment to sort out what to,do with Regina.

Mr. Gold also said that if there's anyone who could help him, anyone who could replicate the antidote for the poison, it would be her. So they need to find her, ASAP.

"Emma, what are we going to do with mom? She didn't do it, she was telling the truth and no one believed her." he frowned, "Not even me,"

The sheriff lift a hand to her head and tried to smoothen her hair, "I'll find her Henry, and if I have to grovel in front of her, just for her to forgive me, I will do it."

"I said so many bad things Emma..."

The blonde mother stepped close to Henry and put a hand on one of his shoulders, "We all did, but if there's anyone she'll blame, it would be me. I... I broke her trust Henry, I believed a dog over her." she smiled sadly and sighed, "Besides, I doubt your mom would hold a grudge with you. She's hurt but once she sees you, she'll be okay again."

"You think so?"

"I know so," mother and son conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door and in came Snow White. Her mother was frowning and looked worried. "Hey,"

"Hey," she said smiling as soon as she eyed her daughter and grandson, "You're back!"

Emma rolled her eyes, "Yeah, Gold though wasn't lucky, Hook got him..."

"Yes, yes, David told me, so is there a way to save Gold?" she asked.

"Regina,"

"Mom,"

And the worried expression returned, "Oh..."

"Grandma, we were wrong, all of us! Mom didn't kill Archie, we didn't believe her!"

Snow nodded, "I know, I was here when he came, and it was thanks to Belle that he got away." she held her hair in her fingers, "What are we going to do with Regina? I'm nervous, she might do something drastic..."

"She's not going to be evil again! She changed even though none of us believed her, she won't be the evil queen again!" Henry protested.

"Henry," Emma wanted to hug her son but from what transpired in New York, she decided not to. "Your mom stopped being the evil queen even before the curse broke. I believed her once, and I made a mistake... something I need to rectify big time." she said then eyeing the other woman, "So any news about where she might be hiding?"

And then there was a slight paleness to Snow's face, "Grandma?"

"Ah, I think we need to talk Emma," Snow's face was so open everyone who sees it knew there was a big problem, and that it is related to the missing woman.

"I'm sure Henry can handle the situation," she said looking at her son who nodded and smiled at her.

"I doubt..."

"Mary Margaret... I mean..." The raven haired woman waved her off,

"Are you sure?" At both mother and son's nod, she sighed, "I went to the mansion to see if perhaps Regina had returned, well, you're not the only one who owes her a big apology, and after saving us from that death curse..."

"Can we go now to the point?" she said frowning,

"I found George supervising a group of men, changing all the locks in the mansion's house."

"WHAT?" Emma and Henry asked wide eyed,

"Why would Regina..." and before she completes her sentence, Henry was out the door. "HENRY!"

"Don't worry, David is there, I sent him over." Snow said as the two women followed the now distraught boy.

"And who's looking after Hook?"

"Leroy for now, Ruby's not yet through with her duty."

"Not fucking great,"

-0-

Leroy's frown deepened, "I have a strict instruction that this skunk is not to receive any visitor, so you can go," he said grumpily, as per usual.

"I don't need your permission dwarf," the visitor said as Leroy slumped forward from his perch on the sheriff's table.

"Always a pleasure seeing you in action," Killian Jones said grinning, "Are you here to let me go? I do believe we both got what we want..."

"True, I seemed to have heard your crocodile is in the brink of dying." The visitor grinned, "You must be pleased."

The grin widened, "Of course, there is still a score to settle with the savior though...b"

"I don't care, that's not part of our deal." The visitor smiled.

"Alright, so just let me go."

"That's not part of the deal either."

Killian frowned, "What the hell, you get me out of here now!"

"You're in no position to demand. I gave you what you want, its not my fault you let yourself get caught."

The prisoner growled, "It is not in our deal for me to keep my mouth shut."

Solemn smile, "Oh I know that,"

"What..." Killian gasped when the visitor held his hand and pricked his finger and he suddenly dropped on the ground.

"I didn't spend 28 years in Storybrooke doing nothing."

-0-

David stopped at the road leading to the station when he saw his family running in his direction. From the look on their faces, they were headed to the mansion, but everything was clear already. The men had done quick work and George wouldn't budge. He wouldn't explain how he got the ex-mayor to transfer the mansion's title to him, and he wouldn't tell if he knew where Regina is.

"David!" Snow called out and the family met at the road side, "What happened?"

He shook his head, "He got the title of the mansion, Regina doesn't own it anymore." he said sadly.

"No! My mom wouldn't give up the house! All of my memories are there! she wouldn't live anywhere else." and here David's expression became sadder.

"She left,"

"What?" three sets of green eyes focused on him,

"What do you mean by she left? She was just hiding right?" Emma asked in her most worried voice.

"George told me he received a report seeing the mayor's car crossing the town line."

"NO!" Henry yelled and then ran towards the mansion. Snow and Emma eyed each other and the decision of Snow following the lad was made.

"Does he tell you where she went? And when was this?"

David shook his head, "He said he has no idea, but I think he was lying, but I'm not the one with the built in lie detector, so I can't force him. And he said his man spotted the car two days ago," he looked at Emma's slacked jaw, "While you were away,"

"Thats... she can't cross the line, she... what would happen to her? Her memories?" Emma started pacing, "Gold... I mean, he had all his memories intact during the curse, and he said that if he go beyond the townline, he'll forget everything... Regina is the same! And only Gold has the potion to counteract the effect!"

"Emma we're not even sure..."

"She's going to forget EVERYTHING David, and that includes Henry!" she yelled and before David could stop her, she sprinted towards the mansion. The prince followed.

-0-

[One year, seven months later]

She stretched her body after opening her eyes, and then she turn her focus on the window and glare at it, as if it would stop the spilling of sun into her room. She hates waking up with the sun poking in, not that she hates the sun perse, but its because of her damn migraine that usually attacks when she wakes up on such condition. She cursed herself for forgetting to close the blind before going to bed. Yesterday was quite hectic, what with three shoplifting incidents, and as the owner/store manager, it was imperative she stay to help out with the sudden inventory.

Good thing for self reliant and efficacious employee like Amanda, two of three were caught. And still she needs to stay behind for police procedures. Further musing was interrupted by a knock at her door and the slightly muffled voice of another, "Danny! Are you going to get up or what? I'm going to go bathe now if you don't, I don't care if it's your supposed turn!" She rolled her eyes.

Daniela Miller is living in a two bedroom plush apartment, it was a big apartment and it feels so empty with just her, so decided to have the other room rented, hence, the loud woman now knocking at her door. Aire had been renting the room for six months already, and despite the loudness, her straight forward approach is refreshing for her. "Coming!" she replied, stood and then hurriedly open the door, "There's no need for you to make a ruckus Aire. I'm already up and I know my schedule."

"Yes, but I am in a hurry today. I can't be late for work anymore or I get probation. You have no idea how evil Helen is!"

She raised one dark brows, "You have no idea what a true evil looks like," she grinned and then walked pass the taller woman before patting the blonde on her shoulder.

"I thought I'm your friend? Why are you siding with the witch?"

"I am your friend, that's why I am siding with Helen, and please, don't mess up witches' image by comparing them to her." Both women grinned.

"If I am not so in love with Nevi, I probably would have fallen for your wits and charm." Aire said laughing.

"Oh I have my moments," she smiled, "Why don't you take the first dib at the bath then, I'd get me some breakfast."

"I made pancakes, left some for you. Coffee at the maker."

"Oh, how sweet of you."

"The things I do for you woman!"

-0-

"This is neat," Henry said as he inspect the medium sized, two bedroom unit his mother rented. It was fully furnished since the rent condition is temporary, the owner of the unit had signed work contract for two years in LA, and will be back. Emma thought it works perfectly, they're not going to stay that long anyway. New York is just the fifth place in their list of where Regina might be. The two doubt they'll be staying long if they get no lead in here.

"Way better than my unit in Boston." Emma said smiling.

The boy shrugged, "It's cozier,"

"I know what you mean." The two sat at the medium sized couch.

"You think we'll find mom?"

She looked at her son, "We'll keep on trying,"

Silence

"If we don't find her, if we don't.. I won't be able to forgive myself."

"Kid..."

"I made her leave, it was me Emma."

"Your mom loves you, she won't..."

"I pushed her away, I think... remember what grams said? If you truly love someone, set them free." He frowned, "Maybe... that's how it is, if what you're saying is true. I didn't give her anything to hold on to you know, so she let go."

"Henry,"

"I missed her."

"Look," Emma faced her son, "That maybe so, but this is not all your fault. I for one has a big part in this, I threatened her of taking you, and well, we all encouraged you to stop seeing her, convinced you how she's not going to change."

"And I let you,"

"You're a kid, what could you have done?"

He smiled sadly, "Run back to the woman who had raised me and made sure she'd taken the right path?" here the blonde woman tussles his hair. "Anyway, how long do you think does the sleeping curse will work on Grandpa Gold?" he grinned,

Emma shook her head, "The irony huh? The man who made the monster is now lying on the coffin meant for the monster's nemesis!" a small smile graced both faces. "Who would imagine, Storybrooke had been trying to eradicate your mom since the curse broke, and now that she's gone..."

"Everyone needs her back, including grams and gramps huh?" Henry watched his mother nod her head. "What would happen if the barrier breaks down?"

"No idea, no one knows actually. And without Rumpel and Regina there, no one feels safe." Emma frowned. "We really need to find your mom," and then she grinned, "And since we're talking about finding your mom, I took a bail bondsperson work while here, part time, we need the cash plus I'd be able to use their networking to find your mom."

"That's a great idea Emma," Henry's downtrodden mood lightened, "Is there a way for me to help?"

"Oh yeah, first, you continue your web education, your mom would be mortified if she learns that you stop schooling, at least we can both tell her that you continued, just not in the normal way." She watch her son nod his head,

"I'm up to date, exams in two weeks. I got that one under control Emma."

"Good, second, keep your eyes and ears open when you go out. Don't go to the shady parts of town without me, understand?"

"Understand."

"Good. Now, my new boss needs to meet with me, something about my stellar work in Boston as bail bondsperson." She shrugged noncommittally, "There's a pizza parlor nearby, come, I'll take you there then we can go our separate ways."

Henry stood from the couch as well as his mother and they both took their respective jackets from the coat rack behind the door, "Are you going home late?"

"Probably not, it's my first day on a part time job, what interesting event could happen this early?" Really, this is gonna be a boring first day.

-0-

It's 9am, Emma had just been interviewed by her new boss, Paul Stetson. An old, shrewd looking man who had been a bail bondsperson all his life, so he says, so she really understood where his cloudy disposition in life comes from, and from his tale of life threatening events, she also understood the reason for the 24/7 frown on his face.

But he seemed like an okay guy, he likes hard working people and is easy to give compliments. He seemed to like her because he gave her a desk by the window and didn't gave her field work at once, he told her to familiarize herself with the other staff and with how things are done in Stetson Investigative Agency. Which she is grateful for, she is a fast learner, adaptable so familiarizing herself with their rules is easy, that means she's got time to use their hardware looking for a missing person.

She just sat herself on the not so comfortable computer chair, sighed and decided to look out to familiarize herself with her surrounding. There on the opposite side of their building is a bus stop.

And she thought she fell asleep, because there in that bus stop was no other than, Regina Mills.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

I know I said New York, but just used it to make the story at least feel like OUaT, I've never been to US, and I am too lazy to research, besides I didn't even specify where in New York are they. I was tempted to use Sesame but decided on Madison (I'm not even sure if Madison Square is in NY!) Anyone who wants to suggest places to use... feel free, I'll change them!

Two

Emma Swan blinked once, twice... no three times before she raise both hands on her face and had them scratch in her hand, because there is no way that she's awake. This must be a dream if not, then someone is playing tricks on her.

Did magic leaked out of Storybrooke and reached New York? What the fuck!

Without further thought she stood, not caring if she bumped into something or someone, she doesn't care, if this is not a dream and she's not sleeping, because 'duh' she can't remember falling asleep! Then she needs to get out there and get to the woman, pronto!

Other staffs that are in her wing were all looking at her as if she's some crazy woman who happened by their agency, some were just surprised, some angry - well the angry ones were because she bumped unto them - but that didn't stop her. She pushed the elevator control three times, and without waiting, as she knew every elevator make some lunatic people trying to catch on someone practically miss them, she decided on the dramatics of chasing, which is her taking the emergency exit... stairs.

Just like in any movie she'd watched that involves running after people, she missed 'Regina Mills', but not by much. She actually saw her ride a bus.

'Wait... Regina Mills riding a bus? Maybe this one is just a look a like?' She thought, but then remembered, 'Oh yeah, lost memory so... but I doubt she won't be prepared for this, she's a woman who always have a plan.'

Not wanting to drop the white flag yet, she crossed the road and felt lucky enough to find an old woman sitting by the bench. "Hi," she greeted. The old woman looked up and huffed, then crossed her arms over her chest. "I just wanted to ask, what route does that bus take?" she asked pointing a thumb to the bus that has just departed.

"There are many routes stopping by here girl! so move on." Emma frowned. 'Bitchy Old lady!'

"I just need to know where that last bus is off to."

"I don't care!" Once again the answer sounds mean,

"Look lady," She just can't find any patience at the moment, not if she finally had a lead on Regina. And before she could renege on the old woman, a younger female came and stepped beside her.

"Oh hi sorry, is Mrs. Walsh disturbing you?" the kind looking lady said smiling.

"What? That brute is the one disturbing me! I was having a nap!" The old lady, or Mrs. Walsh whined.

The younger one looked at Emma again, "Sorry, I worked at a nursing home a few blocks here, and I promised Mrs. Walsh here an early day tour, is there anything you need from her?" she smiled and Emma can't help but return it.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, I didn't realize she was napping, I mean... her eyes were open." Emma smiled and had a hand scratch her nape.

"Oh," The woman laughed, "She does that. So is there anything you need?"

"Nothing important," the blonde sheriff in absentia said, "Just wanted to know the route of the bus that had just left."

"Oh that? That one's to Madison."

"I see," Emma smiled, "Thank you,"

"You're welcome," the lady said and then extends a hand towards the other blonde, "By the way, my name is Aire."

"Wow, that's quite an uncommon name, but very lovely." Emma reached for the hand, "Emma."

"Thank you Emma, I better take Mrs. Walsh back, I don't want my ears to get tear off if she ends up killing someone with her sunny disposition." she said nodding her head then turn her focus on the old lady, "Come on Helen, we need to go back, you can't miss your soap!" she urged the woman who stood, and walked alongside Aire, but not without giving Emma Swan a death glare that rivals or more like triumphs over that of Cora... and in her mind, it was already worse than the evil queen herself.

She shudders before deciding to return to the agency.

-0-

Chocolate colored orbs dilates at the surprise coming her way. How does she really do that? Is this another one of that Charming trait she hates so much? How does she able to find her?! Her plan was foolproof! No one is supposed to find her, not even that heathen royalty, who she knew wanted this opportunity to get her off his back and out of town for good! and here she is! 'Why the hell didn't I think of buying my own car! Damn it!' Oh yeah, because her plan was supposed to be foolproof and that she could just live the rest of her life in peace, in a place no one knew her!

Daniela, or now she can think it -Regina- hurriedly enter the bus and sat at a vacant bench, and then ducked her head to make sure the blonde woman looking at her, and yes she imagine the stare made with those soulful green eyes of hers that had haunted her days or weeks in seclusion. The betrayal... it was a mistake to trust her, trust is such a strong word.

She knew the blonde will find her in no time, and she can't just up and leave again. She had done that for seven months, seven states and had finally settle in. Can't they just let go? This is what they want so what the hell are they doing here?

Work... her subconscious whispers but her conscious minds scoffed, there's no way Emma's leaving her work in that town. There's just no way. So now, what to do?

-0-

Regina decided to skip work the next day, she was sure the blonde woman, she means the other blonde woman, would be trailing her. She might not have seen her face to face, but the damn Charming spawn seemed to know her at every angle, and if she wanted her out of here as fast as the lightning struck, she needs a plan. Of course, she always have a plan. she's just too worked up right now to think of any good one. So she decided on taking a leave and procure a car.

She really doesn't want to drive, its not as if there's lack of taxi cab in the vicinity. She liked driving around Storybrooke because one, no cabs there and two, public transport means she's going to share space with the citizen and she hates small chitchats especially the gossipy type. But at this point, she has no other choice.

At the car dealer, she found the right car, but then the real problem arose. Her driver's license was of course made like thirty years ago, so she would need a new driver's license, which would mean documents, which she has but they are all under the name of Regina Mills. And if she files that, the sheriff will find her faster than her saying 'mabruk'.

So her being absent did her nothing good, aside from delaying Emma a day. So she needs her brain to work up double time for a plan to keep the woman out of her town.

'Doesn't that sounds familiar?'

-0-

Emma Swan paced their unit. Henry went to the public library to study for his upcoming online exam. Snow White's first project when she assumed post as Storybrooke's mayor, under protest from George of course, was to establish online courses. With the dark one trapped in a sleeping curse to stop the poison from killing him, and with Regina's absence, the border that has prevented the outside world from noticing their small town of fairytale folks and lore, a border made of dark magic starts weakening. What with only the fairies magic going right at the town at the moment, and they were not even any help. So Snow White thought that its imperative they start preparing by educating people of the outside world.

So Henry benefited on this most of all. Her parents knew that they will go embark on this mission, as hard as it is, the boy just cannot stay in Storybrooke pining for his mother the rest of his life, and be weighed heavily down by the notion that he drove his mother away.

Now that she had a small light in the dark, she's wondering if she should let her son in already. What if it wasn't Regina and she just mistook someone as her? She shook her head, she knows Regina, she could spot her even in a great distance. The way she stand, the way she flips her hair, the way she smile... the way her eyes twinkle especially every time they were arguing. She know every little quirks she has. How her sexily scarred lip twitches when she tries hard to stop from smiling or grinning, how she rolls her eyes, oh yes, no one rolls their eyes the way the mayor does! How she plays with her fingers when she's nervous, not that she had seen it a lot. That fein on her forehead showing when she is in a very emotional state, no matter what kind...

So yes, she is at least 90% sure that woman in the bus stop was her.

She didn't show up today though, but if that is her route, she's going to show up again. And she can't drive because she was sure, her license was dated way back the first time they come to Storybrooke, so that was like thirty years ago, and if she gets one, boom, the door opens wide. But what if Regina has lost her memory?

Before Gold decided on using the sleeping curse on himself until Regina returns to Storybrooke to replicate the antidote to the nightshade, he told her that perhaps the effect of the barrier will not be the same with Regina and its because of the tremendous amount of death curse she took in when she saved her and her mother from that well.

But what if he was wrong? He said it was a hunch.

The potion he used to retain his memory when they went out of town was made from pure white magic, true loves potion, remnants of the one he took from Snow and Charming's hairs. And the Death curse, as vile as its name sound is made from pure white magic... the entirety of fairy dust activated.

But again, what if he was wrong?

So she decided, for now, she's keeping this from Henry until she's sure of what's happening to Regina. If she lost her memory, then she and him will be threading differently with her rather than lets say, she has her memory intact but wants nothing to do with them. That would be ten times worse than option number one, but both of them had prepared for it.

They have pushed Regina, its time they pull her in. They are not returning to Storybrooke without Her.

-0-

Regina decided to leave early this time. Aire hasn't even yawned when the older woman knocked at her door to tell her she's leaving already. The younger blonde almost missed her at the front door...

"Is your grocery on fire?" she yelled peeking her head from her room door.

"I reheated the pasta last night, I thought you'd like it for breakfast, made some toast too. Coffee at the maker!" she replied hurriedly without looking back, and then the younger woman just heard the front door open and then close.

She walked hurriedly towards the bus station. She thought, plan A would be her riding the bus at different times to lose the sheriff. She smiled, she has a feeling it will work.

-0-

"Wow you're up early!" Henry said as he went out of his room. He was still stretching his ever growing body when his biological mother put a plate of stacked pancakes in front of him, followed by a steaming cup of hot cocoa complete with cream and cinnamon powder. "Have I died and went to heaven?"

Emma smirked, "Eat Henry before I change my mind and put those pancakes in the trash."

"Heathen!"

Emma's answer was a raise of one brow, "I need to go in early,"

"I thought this is part time, how come you're going everyday?"

"I got a mark," she lied and she saw Henry raise one brow saying he doesn't believe her. "Okay, I'm doing research, using their resources to find your mom remember?"

"Oh yeah," he shrugged his shoulders, "I hope we get lucky this time. I missed Storybrooke. I heard Grace is having a big party with matching costumes on her birthday." he had a far away look on his face, "I can't imagine myself doing party though, not with mom missing in this world... Can you imagine all the dangers there is? And she has no magic here, whether grandpa Gold was right that she has her memory or not. Mom is vulnerable here," he sighed.

"I know, that's why I need to go now to find your mom."

Henry looked at her suspiciously, "Something's different with you,"

"What?"

"Well," he return his focus on his pancakes, "You never sound lively in the last four states where we look for her."

'Oh hell, I blame Regina for raising a very receptive son!' "It's the cocoa Henry," she said grinning before she passed by him, ruffles his hair and fetch her red jacket, "Be sure to call me when you are going out okay? And message me your whereabout so I can track you." she grinned, "... just in case."

"You should throw that useless mobile of yours, get something with GPS!" he said to his mother's retreating back. And all he got was a wave of hand.

-0-

It was 8:20. I'm two bus stop down from where the agency was located. Yesterday, Regina didn't show up, or perhaps she took the bus stop ahead of this one, so I'm taking it one stop before. After my failed attempt of trailing her yesterday, I made use of my time at the agency researching first on bus routes, then by names that Regina might use. She could have gone as Gina Daniels, well shortened Regina plus her first love, or she could go with Henrietta... or to really lose me, use her mother's name Cora or maybe elongate the name to Corazon.

Or she could have Miller for surname.

Anyway, I failed on that. It seemed Regina has not made any bank transactions, absolutely no to the driver's license now or tickets since she's not driving. Or maybe she's just chose a name that would absolutely throw me off...

Maybe she's using the name Mary Margaret... wait, why the hell did I not think of that? And I decided, if I missed her again today, I will look into all the Mary Margarets in New York City. That's when the bus I was waiting for stopped in front of me, so I stood and went in.

-0-

I feel dread, of course this is about Emma Swan. She is one clever woman. Didn't I tried everything in my arsenal to keep her out of Storybrooke? And see where does that get me. And now, I am once again trying to get her off this town. All I can say now is that she really is at finding people, and persuasive too!

One year and seven months and still looking? Well that is what she's doing here! Oh wait... is she dragging my son... I mean Henry here? Now if this is the case, how am I going to do this if she actually gets me? Is Henry still his name? Does he still goes by Mills? I missed him so, but the memories just hurts so much. It is better to pretend that I had a son who had died than to live with one that would shun me without second thoughts.

That's a pain I'm sure I can live with.

Alas, my thoughts were cut short as my bus arrived. Thank whoever I came early, no Ms. Swan in the vicinity.

And then I was also thankful for wearing my smoke glass, for there at the back,of the bus sat Ms. Swan and yes she was looking at me...

My day has just begun, and it's worse already, what the hell am I to do?

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

"Anywhere your lonely soul is, I'll be with you, we'll meet in the heart of the rainbow... my life is a mystique dream to me, I reach for your soul, deep in immortal love."

\- I Reach for The Sun, Emily Bindiger, song excerpt-

OST El Cazador de la Bruja

A/N: I do not own savemore. (Owned by SM corporation)

**Waiting for the Bus**

Three

Regina sat at the vacant, single bench, two seats behind the driver. She tried her hardest to relax with the blonde woman at the back, and it was hard since she can actually feel Emma's gaze on her. If looks could actually burn a hole, she's sure she have one at the back of her head right now.

This turn of event is something she had never expected to happen, it's a big crease in her plan that is hard to iron out. Needing a few moments to collect herself and make an impromptu plan B, she decided to ignore the attention the blonde woman is giving her. During her time in the Enchanted Forest, as the Evil Queen, she always do the stalking, and now that she seemed to be at the other end of that action, she now curse herself for giving whoever a feeling 'this' uncomfortable. But to throw off the sheriff, she used her previous mayoral skill to not let the other woman get under her skin.

Though truth be told, she failed to do just that the first time. But she have to try hard now...

She has no idea if she will feel relieved or feel more dread at the sight of the large 'Savemore' store. She procured the large store and decided to rename it and thought savemore was much appropriate. This is her stop supposed to be, will Emma follow her or will she let this? She doubts the woman would, if there is a two word new definition for persistence, that would be Emma Swan, but to be sure...

Regina bypassed her supposed stop, as she waits for her turn, she found her vision blocked by number of people standing and crowding at the bus door to unload, so she was blind sided by Emma actually changing seats and sitting on the solo bench opposite her. 'What the...' she thought, and clenched her jaw tight to not give herself away. On the next stop, she stood and hurriedly took off the bus...

And yes, it is confirmed, Ms. Swan is following her. She is really good at finding people, a good skill for bail bondsperson, but she sucks with stealth. She can actually hear her footstep and thats to say she's way away from the blonde.

_'Now how to make the savior... '_

-0-

"What the hell…" Emma said to herself as she once again spot Regina entering another thrift store. 'when the hell did Regina start buying things… more so clothes in a thrift store? Okay perhaps she doesn't remember, but I doubt even without her previous memories, her attitude towards clothing will change that much, and look at how immaculate and expensive she looks at the moment… unless…"

The blonde woman had been following the other for about twenty minutes now. She had been walking round and round the block while Regina seemed to be entertained on window shopping, giving her another point to ponder, 'How come she never knew the mayor likes window shopping?' and then she shrugged her shoulders, 'it's not as if there are a lot of store she can do window shopping at their town.' she mused and return her focus on the unsuspecting brunette.

'So she thought,'

Almost forty five minutes later, she found herself back to the large discount supermarket -savemore-. "What the fuck, we just got back… is she…" she mumbled to herself but stopped when the other woman entered. This is her chance, so she entered as well.

Anyone is welcome in this store.

-0-

Regina was smiling wide as she entered her store, and she was greeted by a lovely redhead security, wearing a purple shirt and black denim pants, the shirt with a red savemore logo.

"Good morning Ms. Miller, you have a visitor waiting for you at your office." the female security said smiling with twinkling eyes.

"Already?" she replied with genuine smile, and then she leans forward, her lips now aligned to the redhead's ears, "I need you to do something for me Amanda,"

"Of course Ms. Miller," she said in a hush tone, knowing that her big boss took the initiative to whisper in her ear, it means no one other than her should hear.

"The blonde woman in a hideous jacket," Regina said and was happy this security she employed knows how to be discreet in finding who she was talking about, and then she nodded her head in understanding, "She's the reason I was late, she's following me since my station and I cannot shake her off." She straightened and eyed the woman who returned the contact.

"Clear ma'am." She said frowning.

Regina then without looking back shook her head, flipped her hair and walked towards her office.

-0-

Emma was frowning as she witnessed Regina being personal with the redheaded security. And if she thinks she didn't notice the covert sideway glance she gave her, then they are fucking morons, which means Regina was telling something, probably lying about her. Her attention was caught by Regina leaving and the redhead nodding her head to the other security, a beefy man wearing the same uniform.

She cleared her throat and stopped by the counter. The redhead went out and stepped beside her, followed by the other who situated himself on her other side. "What's the problem?" she asked though she already has the inkling what it was.

"Sorry ma'am, but please step out of the line."

"Is this how you do security search? Aren't you quite over reacting, two of you while only one of me? There are others coming in too you know,"She said looking at the small number of people aggregating at her back.

"Not a standard procedure ma'am but we have to do this or we will have to escort you out of the establishment." the redhead said.

Emma looked at the ID of the guard and grin. "This is against my right you know, Amanda."

"Not when you are reported to be stalking the owner of this establishment. So its either you let us search you thoroughly, or you better get out. We don't really want to make a scene."

Emma took a deep breath, 'Okay Regina got one on me there, but at least I know something now.' "Sorry, I'm not stalking your boss, actually I know her. Regina Mills…" and then she frown when the two security laughed.

"Alright, that's just creepy, you are stalking… our boss is not some Regina Mills, you were close though. So step out or I'll be forced to call the authority."

Emma raised both hands in surrender. "Okay, then maybe I can do this the legal way, will you let me speak with your boss?"

"You'd have to make an appointment for that," Amanda said then nodding at the other security signalling him to get back to his post, she's got the situation under control. 'Oh yeah, I can read gestures, hah!'

"Where…"

"Appointment is by phone, we don't accept walk in appointments. Now, will you please step out?"

The blonde nodded her head, "Alright, but before I go, I just want to know, if your boss is not Regina Mills…"

"You are absolutely mistaken, mistaken identity is not unusual so I get you. I just don't like you spooking our boss."

'Spook huh? Regina Mills is not one woman who gets spooked easily. "So what's her name? I'm making an appointment with her anyway, I should at least know to whom I want to speak to right?"

"Daniela Miller." Amanda said and that was enough for her. The day had not been for naught, she had actually learned a lot compared to 'if' she stayed at her desk and surf the internet. She doubt there's anything that will come up.

Emma smiled genuinely, "Thank you, do you by any chance have some brochures?"

The security raise one brow but pointed at the counter with numerous leaflets using her eyes. She nods her head in gratitude and went to retrieve one. A grin crossed the blonde woman's face when there at the counter she saw something interesting…

"NOW HIRING…"

-0-

"Wow, you are beating your records Emma, you are back early! I mean you woke up early this morning, and now you are home early? Is armageddon coming?" the grin on Henry's face was not unnoticed by his birth mother.

"Go on sass with me Henry, have your say… don't you ever ask me about what I found out about your mother though. Armageddon is coming right?" Emma said as she removed her jacket and then proceeds to the living room, sat at the couch and took out her mobile phone. Next she took a brochure from her pocket, and then raised her foot on the wooden center table, that used to be clean but now littered with Henry's books. "Oh, you didn't go to the library to study?"

"No, I borrowed books, It's cozier… and the couch is just comfortable." He smiled apologetically, "Come on Emma, I was just kidding you, tell me about what you found out about mom."

Before Emma could reply, there was an answer from the other line. "Hello, good afternoon, this is Angela, how may I help you?"

The blonde sheriff smiled at Henry, patted his legs to silently tell him she'll talk later and then return her focus on the conversation, "Will you please connect me to the office of Ms. Daniela Miller?" she asked in her most polite voice. She watched Henry's eyes widen, the boy is just too perceptive for his own good, she got the idea that her son got into this information without even asking.

"Please hold on…" and Angela was replaced by a promotional song of the shop, a few seconds later, there was another ringing tone and then an answer, this time from a guy, "CEO's office, this is Jed, how may I help you?"

"Hi Jed, my name is Emma Swan and I would like to make an appointment with your CEO." she said smiling at Henry who was nodding enthusiastically at her.

"What about Ms. Swan?" Emma frowned. Hearing Ms. Swan from a different person just doesn't seemed right.

"Personal matter,"

Silence on the other side of the line, and then "Oh I'm sorry Ms. Swan, but Ms. Miller doesn't accept personal matter as reason to make appointment with her office…"

"This is important…"

"Ms. Miller is a busy person Ms. Swan, and this is a business office, any personal matter is not to be taken here."

Emma frowned and Henry mirrored her expression, "Alright, is there an address or a 'personal' number I can have so I can have this personal matter tackle with your boss?" she silently growled.

"Sorry Ms. Swan but I do not have the authority to give you any." click

"FUCK!"

Henry was trying to keep himself from laughing at her mother's expression… and flowery language. "Are you…"

"NO! I am not fine, your mother just had it with me! First she made me look like some creepy stalker, and had those damn security throw me out of her market and now… ARGH! She's impossible!"

"Emma, you are stalking mom." He grinned, "Does that mean we are staying here?"

Emma's ire deflated, "Yes, I have to know what's happening to her first. And yes, Daniela Miller is the name she used." she frowned as she saw Henry lay out a hand to her.

"That's 20 bucks Emma," he said smiling cheekily.

"Argh you are your mother's son!"

"Stop whining and pay up."

-0-

Hazel orbs were on the paper bags on the floor and then they went up to the face of the woman now sitting at the bar stool in front of the bar bisecting the kitchen from the dining table. Aire was standing beside Regina, jaw slacked. "Is the apocalypse coming?" she asked breaking the silence.

"Do you want them or not? I can just donate them…"

Aire snatched the bags from the floor, "Don't you dare Miller," she said and then looked inside the bags. "Wow, you really did spend a lot just to lose your stalker." she grinned, "And I have to say, I am honored that you thought of me as you pillage the town."

"I did not pillage the thrift market Aire, I pay them with my money!"

Aire raised her hand in surrender, "I'm just happy you thought of me. I really thought you were dying when I saw you come home with all these bags, you won't even wear clothes from your own store."

"I'm not going to be caught dead with those…" Aire raised a hand to tell her 'she knows', so she slumped her head on the bar.

"Stalker huh?"

"What am I going to do Aire? I can't let her find me…"

"You know you are being vague here Danny, who is she and why should she not find you?"

Regina looked at the other woman's eyes with that soulful type of gaze, "She's a past, she and m...her son were part of my past that I am running away from."

One blonde brow raised, "I thought you weren't into women?"

"Huh?"

"Well this woman, this 'she' must be someone important, a girlfriend? A lover who had hurt you? What, she left you for another woman or for a guy?"

"What are you talking about?" Regina was frowning not getting where her roommate was driving.

"You… running away from a daughter and son, a broken relationship…"

Brown eyes widened, "Absolutely not! I didn't mean it that way!"

"So what?" there was no answer for sometime,

"It's complicated,"

Aire grinned, "When my mother asked me what's between me and Nevi, my answer was 'it's complicated' and look where we are now huh?"

She rolled her eyes, "Why does everything has to be about romance with you?"

"I'm a sap, a butch but a sap." No answer, instead Regina returned to sulking.

"I won't be able to escape this, that woman is like a leech, she finds a target and when she gets her suction cusp deep into skin, she's not letting go until she bleed me dry!"

"She wants your money?"

"Argh, no… no… worst," she watched the other woman raise her brow again, "She and her son will be dragging me back to my worst nightmare."

"Ahuh…"

She took a deep breath before letting out a long breath, "Storybrooke…"

"Story… what now?"

-0-

[Next day]

Emma Swan entered savemore supermarket. She of course noticed the security from yesterday, Amanda eyeing her suspiciously, but she decided to ignore it, so she took a basket from the stock and went on her way, to the produce section first. It was a good thing that she and Henry had not done their shopping. There's actually a small grocery store near the unit they were renting, but she opted to travel to buy their list in this bigger one. She smiled, damn Regina owns this. So without further prompting, she started inspecting the vegetable part first…

From the produce section, that's at the east wing of the large supermarket, she went her way towards the west, pretending to look for what she needed, when the truth is, she need four more items after what she had already put in her carry basket and she could have just look up, read the items under each isle and go directly where she needs to go, but she has a feeling, that Regina being the CEO would mean the woman would be her obsessive compulsive self and do a whole store checking of her own.

She was at the middle of the store when she got lucky. There at the side of the cold cuts was the woman she was looking for, and she was talking to an asian man and looks like she was demonstrating how she wanted the cold cuts to be arranged on that cold shelf. She grinned… 'of course I am right,' her thought.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost got caught by Regina looking, so she hurriedly ducked on the 'sale' shelf of cooking oils.

-0-

Regina frowned when she saw how the cold cuts were arranged. She knew most of the time it was the customers who actually disorganized the shelf, but upon further inspection, it seemed it had been disorganized for quite sometime and that whoever was responsible for putting back misplaced brands was or were not doing their job. She called on one of the supervisor, Mr. Yun and was discussing the matter when her attention was caught by a sudden movement at her periphery.

Looking up, a large convex mirror showed her that Emma Swan had just ducked behind the cooking oil shelf. She grinned, she had thought of what to do if ever Emma Swan corner her, and it seems it's happening sooner than later.

So after making it clear to the supervisor that she doesn't want this to happen again, and that if he needed to fire people and rehire, all he had to do was ask, she sauntered off the coldcut section and decided to inspect the beauty product section. As usual, she could hear Emma's footstep and she stopped mid-step when she heard a loud curse and then the sound of someone falling.

When she turned around, there Emma was facing down on the ground. One of the roaming security beside her, helping her stand. "I'm okay!" Emma growled at the man who hurriedly raise his hand in a surrender motion.

"Mr. Big, I think I could handle this here, thank you very much." She said smiling at the security and with her eyes saying 'good job' and then she stepped beside the woman, "Are you alright Miss?" she asked smiling her best 'employee of the month' smile.

Emma frowned, and thought 'Miss?' "Wha… Regina?"

"Sorry Miss Regina, I should probably have our cleaners make sure the floor aren't slippery…"

-0-

_What… Miss Regina, what the fuck… seriously?_

_She doesn't remember?_

TBC 


	4. Chapter 4

Waiting for the Bus

Four

Regina went home early. Seeing Emma had rattled her and hearing Emma actually calling her name gave her confusing thoughts. Right after the curse was broken, out of all the people of Storybrooke, Emma was the one who had run to her rescue though it was in behest of Henry, but she could have stopped after the mob was pacified, but no, the woman had persisted and even endangered her life saving her from the wraith. That's how she started putting her trust on the blonde… which was a mistake.

She and the two idiots and the entire population of Storybrooke, including Henry wanted her gone, and now that she had finally given them what they wanted for a long time, here they are turning her new world upside down once again. It wouldn't have been this awful if she hadn't heard the 'longing' behind Emma's call.

What is her game? She asked herself, because for the life of her, Emma Swan had been and will always be a complex person for her, and she will forever be a challenge. But why would she fall for this again? She did let her in, and then she left her to hang and now took away her son.

It was a blessing in disguise that she actually was able to formulate a plan that left the blonde woman speechless… shocked. What does she expect? She supposed to know that she'll have all her memories wiped out once she step out of the town line right… right?

So was she so inundated with thoughts of the blonde woman she was running away from that she missed the other blonde woman in her life crossing the foyer towards the kitchen…

"Hey, you look like some Zombie ate your brain," Aire said concerned before it transform into a full blown laugh when the usually composed woman shrieked at the site of a 'zombie' standing still in front of her.

"AIRE!" Regina yelled which caused one woman with pink dyed hair to go out of the living room and into the foyer.

"What happened?" She asked with that usual sweet voice. How the loud Aire get this woman to fall in love with her is a mystery to Regina.

Chocolate brown eyes turned to the new arrival and frown, "You really are taking your sexual fantasies to a new height…" seeing the woman in a leather suit complete with utility belt where a wooden stake of different sizes were inserted, and a whip clipped on the side, then she looked at Zombie Aire who was curled in herself, still laughing, "... and YOU!" She wanted to strangle the woman but she was still shaken by what happened, so she let it go and decided to just seethe silently.

When the laughing died down, Aire straightened herself, removed the zombie mask partially making it cling to her hair and grinned, "Don't blame me, I was just concerned when you came, besides, I didn't know you'll be coming home early. Everything went smooth at work?"

Regina frowned, "Nightmare, it was a nightmare."

"Huh? I got the idea that you have saints as employees," The pink haired woman, Nevi said with a frown.

"Well I have to let go of three stackers,"

"Work ethics not to your liking?"

"More like they don't do their work because they're taking home some goods with them. Does that approve your ethics?" She sarcastically told the blonde woman.

"Whoa!" Aire raised both hands in the air, "Okay, you have a bad work day, I get it…" she looked at Nevi with a pleading eyes, "We get it yes?" and the pink haired woman nodded her head. She then turned her focus on the raven haired woman again, "So care to share?" One raise brow was the reply, "About why it was a nightmare at work-"

Regina sighed and then turned to enter the living room, the two women following her, "SHE cornered me." she said before slumping at the couch.

The two women stayed standing and then eyed each other before Aire opened her mouth, "You know this SHE devil you are talking about must be named sometime right?"

"I dare not,"

"This SHE devil you are talking about, is this the one you were telling me that's stalking Danny?" Nevi asked her lover of three years and nodded her head when the other woman affirmed her suspicion.

"Why not?"

"I'm afraid she'll appear before me if I utter her name loudly,"

Nevi frowned, "So her name is Rumpelstiltskin?" then she looked at her girlfriend, "I thought Rumpelstiltskin is a guy?"

"Hey that's twice now, if you say that name one more time he might appear! And who knows what's true anymore!" Aire said looking more affected.

"What… Rumpelstiltskin is a man!" Regina loudly said,

"You jinx it!" Aire shouted and her eyes scanned the area.

"I have no time with your buffoonery Ms. Simoun, I'm tired and I should just take a rest."

Regina stood and walked slowly out of the living room and stopped midway when Nevi spoke, "So what did you do?"

She sighed, "Feigned Amnesia."

"WHAT?!"

-0-

"I got a brochure here saying that your store is hiring!" Emma's voice increases along with her ire. The damn woman at the store's information and customer service center knows nothing. What the heck, is Regina hiring morons for employees?

"Oh yes ma'am, those positions at the brochure had already been filled. We haven't gotten any new information about any positions open." The blonde woman rolled her eyes.

"Then why are you still giving out these pamphlets?!"

"Sorry, they were supposed to be disposed. If it's alright with you, Ms. Swan right?" Emma nodded her head and once again rolled her eyes upon realizing the other woman cannot see her,

"What?"

"...You can leave us a number or email, plus your resume and we'd give you a call once a position is open." She frowned, 'does she really need this? Part timing as bail bondsperson would probably take a lot of her time… but it has been days and there was no field assignments for her yet. It was explained that the regulars were given priority for cases and that the part timers are the last in line. That works for her.

"That will be good, can you at least tell me if you have any hunch on any opening? I am in dire need of a job." She said lowering her voice.

"There are about two to three positions offered once a month, so if you really are in need of work Ms. Swan, I suggest you look for other establishments as well. But as soon as we got something I'll give your resume priority."

"That's very good, thank you ah Ms…"

"Lotis,"

"Ms. Lotis, bye bye." Emma said sighing before pressing the end call button of her mobile. Then her eyes found that of her son who has his brows raise up.

"You have a part time job and that's going to probably take more of your time, how are you going to balance getting mom and work if you're getting another?" he asked in a tone that reminds her so much of Regina when she was being the bitchy mayor of Storybrooke.

'Damn it, every actions, every tone… everything about Henry now reminds her of the woman who is now giving her this crappy headache.' "I'm applying at the super store your mother owns. So Henry, I have a major headache and I don't need you going MAYOR on me today. Will you just spare me, please?" she said gritting her teeth.

Henry sure seemed to be chastised, "Oh… sorry Emma, ah…"He started fidgeting, "I'll leave you then, I'm going to the library."

Emma frowned and looked at her watch, "It's going to close in two hours, are you trying to go Peter Parker on me?" she asked with one raised brow.

Henry grinned, "Ah no, I really am going there and do some reading, and then I'm going to Fox bookstore (1)." He grinned, "I met this cool kid, Jake, and he said something about this bookstore where you can actually come and read inside even without buying."

Emma nodded, "Oh, alright."

"Why don't you rest Emma, I'll go eat out with Jake and maybe I could get you some take out burger?"

"That would be great, I don't think I'm up to cooking."

Henry shrugged his shoulders, "When were you really up to cooking anyway?"

"I'm contemplating on cutting off someone's allowance…"

"I'm going!" Henry shouted as he run out of their door.

"KID!"

-0-

[Next day]

Emma decided not to push her luck today. She doesn't want the securities calling the attention of the authorities if she suddenly show up in the store again without really valid reason. So she really has nowhere to go when she left the agency. She went in to see if there's a case for her but it seemed it was slow going for SIA, the regulars were actually bumping heads to get one decent case. As for her, it was a good thing she's last in the list, that means she has more time, money wise, she and Henry are quite alright. Being the daughter of the current Mayor has its perk - she's on an indefinite leave with pay -

It was really good that the people rallied behind her parents to put King George where he should be. Before she and Henry went to this trip, her parents had done investigations of the legality of the transfer of title of the mansion from Regina to him, and so far, they hadn't gotten anything solid to kick the man out of the house.

So it was this large amount of time in her hand, and lack of anything else to do that she found herself sitting on the bench by the bus stop. The same bench where she met that 'evil' old lady which she forgot the name now. If she had been green, she would have called her The Wicked Witch. She found it was nice sitting on that bench, she could see people walking around without being crowded, the shade of the large tree she has no idea what species was a great respite from the sun, it was a good thing since her skin gets easily burned.

She was lost in thought for a while and then her attention was caught by someone sitting beside her. When she looked sideways, she found the blonde woman taking care of the old witch, smiling at her, the name she cannot forget, Aire.

"I was on my way back to work from a break and saw you here, you were deep in thought and you're holding that brochure, so I thought I'd say hello." Aire said easing at the bench.

"Oh Hi, Aire right?" At the nod of blonde head, not hers, she smiled. "I was just thinking," she grinned, "I know it may seem like a dangerous thing to do but…" The other woman laughed,

"Oh my god, I like you! You seemed like a nice person. So what got you into thinking?" Aire watch Emma raise the pamphlet,

"I called to ask about the vacancy listed here, it turns out it was already filled."

"Oh," the other blonde had that knowing smile on her face, "So you're new in town, planning to settle and looking for a job?"

"Second job," she shrugged her shoulders, "I'm working part time there," pointing at the building opposite them, "As part time too, but they still have no field case for me, so no commission for me until theres one, hence, the looking for a second job." she looked at the other woman who nods her head, "I have a son, and he has a voracious appetite, one job would never suffice… growing boy."

"I see," Aire stood up, "I maybe able to help you,"

Emma raise one brow, "Really?"

"Yes, actually savemore has opening, but its a close position, the positions were just new and they don't want to advertise it, something about thorough inspection, but I know the man in charge of hiring and if you really need the job, I could send you to him and you can drop my name."

"Really?" If stars could replace Emma's pupil, it would have. "I mean, you're going to do for me? I'm practically a stranger to you!"

"Psh!" She waved a hand in the air, "I'm good at reading people, and I know you are a good and hardworking woman, so what's the harm in helping out right?"

Emma stood as well, "Oh my god, you are an angel! Thank you very much," 'If you only knew...' she thought. She can't get herself to feel guilty, this is her only chance at getting through Regina. Now that she knew she'd lost her memory, she couldn't think of another way to be close to her than work with her closely. "Oh my…"

"Look for Mr. Yun, when you meet him, tell him Aire Simoun sent you to him for one of the position."

"Okay! Oh thank you very much…"

"You're not going to stop saying thank you will you?"

"No, I might not be able to… oh god, thank you…"

"..And Oh god… you do realize I am human right?" Emma just grinned. "So what is your full name Emma?"

-0-

Mr. Yun was all smile as he lead Emma Swan to the cold cuts shelf of the large store. The blonde was trying hard to listen to his instruction and to look for the raven haired store owner at the same time. Good thing she knows how this stacking works, she did worked in a grocery store when she was young, baggage girl but still, it's an experience.

"You see Miss… ah, Swan right?" That caught the woman's attention and she nodded her head, "You got a strong backer, it is hard to say no to Ms. Simoun but she had never steered us wrong. She had recommended a lot of people to work here and every person who came here upon her recommendation had been stellar employees. I hope she keeps her record by recommending you."

Emma smiled, "I'll never steer you wrong,"

"So you are working full time, for now, you're getting Wednesday and Thursday off, weekends off are offered to regular employees, trainees such as yourself can't choose for the mean time. You're signing a three month contract, if we are satisfied with your work ethics, then we could extend it to six and then a year." Emma nods her head, "The owner of this market does unannounced inspection and she's a perfectionist. But… she has a good heart, if you are in need of something, you can raise it up with me and I could negotiate with her." She nodded again, "Once a month, every last Sunday, we closes the supermarket and we are requested to attend a monthly feeding program. Since you are new, I suggest you volunteer to make good impression."

"I'd love that."

"Very well, I'll leave you here to do your work…"

"Oh, I'll start now?"

"You want the job?"

"I'll start now." she said turning to the shelf and inspecting everything.

"I'll have Sally bring you a store issued apron and gloves." Mr. Yun smiled and turned to leave the blonde.

"Thank you Mr. Yun," she said which earned her a wave of hand.

-0-

It has been two days and Regina was a little bit relieved that she hadn't bumped into Emma Swan. Her plan on faking an amnesia was something out of the blue, but it seemed that it worked. Though she was sure that it's not enough to dissuade the woman from coming to her, she's probably somewhere out there looking for some guy who could be her true love so he could kiss her and break the damn curse.

Or worst, she could be trying to persuade Henry to come find her and kiss her. That's something the savior would do. Charmings and their True love magic. She sneered at the thought. So it was a beautiful Friday morning, tomorrow is the start of her weekday off, though as the owner, she actually could have anyday as off day, but she wants to have a schedule, which this week was shaken by Snow White's spawn who decided to continue her mother's legacy - to be a pain in her side - So she walked to the bus station and stood to her usual place…

If she has not mastered the art of masquerading her emotion, and if it wasn't for the dark sunglass she's wearing, she was sure the woman beside her, - Emma Swan- would have seen through her act.

There is probably some truth to what she told Aire before, mentioning Swan's name would make her appear, but she hasn't uttered it which means what now? Just thinking of Emma Swan makes her appear?

'Is the damn FATE kidding me?'

-0-

Emma had decided to go to the agency earlier. Since she'll have full time work at the store, she needs to tell the secretary that she would want to be message in case there is a case for her. She needs at least eight hours at the grocery so if there is a case, she could use the remaining hours of the day to look into it. The agency is open twenty four hours anyway.

Thelma had listed her on the 'to be message' list which she didn't sign before because she was thinking of using the office's resources to find Regina, but now that she's found the woman and is now working close to her, there's no need to bother herself with coming to the office everyday for her to know that there is still no field case for her. Now, she only needs to check her message if she has one. So she was early, standing by the sign waiting for the bus…

And all of sudden, there she was standing beside her. She saw her look her way but she seemed like she saw through her. Her facial expression show no recognition. Regina has really lost her memory, and there is only one way for her to recover it… True Love's kiss, that is if it works here outside of Storybrooke.

Good thing Henry is with her right?

-0-

She was a little bit apprehensive when Emma Swan went off the bus on the same stop as hers. Then her apprehension grew when the blonde woman entered her store a few person after her. 'Alright, maybe she's doing another shopping trip...'

As the proverb goes, curiosity killed the cat… she felt like she died when the blonde woman actually entered the 'for employees' only door. "What the… she's working in MY store… who the hell hired her?!" she mumbled to herself. And she hurriedly left where she was hiding when she saw Emma Swan went out of door wearing the store's apron and gloves. "I'm going to kill whoever hire her!" she mumbled again as she hurriedly went to her office.

TBC

1 - You've got mail (The other bookstore)


	5. Chapter 5

Waiting for the Bus

Five

"Jed!" she called as she pushed the button to connect her to her assistant,

"Ms. Miller?" The man outside her office said, voice a bit nervous. It wasn't normal for her boss to come this agitated, something dire must have happened.

"Do you have the files of the newest hires of the store?" She asked trying hard to calm her nerves.

"Yes Ms. Miller, Mr. Yun had just given them to me yesterday."

"Bring it here, and then call Mr. Yun to my office. Thank you." she said and then hung up. A few minutes later, there was a soft knock at her door and she called Jed in, which he did and wordlessly put three folders on top of her desk.

"Mr. Yun is on his way," Jed watched his boss nod her head, but she did not raise her head to eye him which was odd. Ms. Miller has always been eye-contact person as if she wouldn't let anybody escape her scrutinizing, but hot as hell gaze. "Is there anything else you need?" he asked as per usual.

Regina looked at her watch, "No," she then raise her head, finally, "Take today off Jed, but free my schedule today after Mr. Yun first, direct all calls to my office to information."

"Yes ma'am, anything else?"

She shook her head, "No, thank you. I'll see you on Monday."

Before Jed could finally go, he once again knocked at her door, peeked in without her permission, smiled and said, "Mr. Yun is here,"

"Send him in," And then there was a nervous scuffle on her floor and when she looked up she watched the nervous man standing still in front of her desk, "Have a sit Mr. Yun,"

He did, "You asked of me Ms. Miller?"

Instead of replying, she took the folder that has Emma Swan's resume and opened it in front of him. "How did this employee known of our job vacancy?" She took the other two folders, opened it as well, "These two I can understand, they were recommendations from our HR department to you," she said pointing at the recommendation letter attached to the resumes. "I thought I made it clear that this hiring will be private among our employees, so how…"

"She's got a verbal recommendation from Ms. Simoun." He said nervously,

"Ms. Simoun as in Aire?"

Mr. Yun nodded, "I have hired a lot of people recommended by her and they are all good employees, they had made our employees of the month multiple times…"

"Aire," she sighed before smiling, "Thank you for the information Mr. Yun,"

"Is there a problem? I didn't do any police background check since she had been honest with her juvie record, and she's also working part time at SIA, and I'm quite sure they do strict background check on that agency. I don't see the need to re-do it." No answer which made the man more nervous, "Do you want me to fire her…"

"No, no… we can't have that Mr. Yun. That would be against our policy and against the law." 'And it's going to blow my act, she'd know something was up about me if I had her fired, clever woman!' "I was just surprised that a supposed private hire would have no letter of recommendation from any of our stuff."

The man nodded his head, "I could ask her to get a recommendation letter from Ms. Simoun if you like Ms. Miller?"

"No need," she waved a hand, "We both know she never writes rec letter." she smiled, "I need you to look out for her though, make sure she's doing her job the way I want it. Got it?"

"Of course Ms. Miller."

"Very well, you are dismissed."

"Thank you," he said, standing and then bowing before stepping out of Regina's office.

"Aire…" she growled.

-0-

Aire's day was not very good, first Helen Walsh had a sudden syncopal attack which they all thought was a CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident) and had to call their resident physician, only for the woman to wake up even before the doctor came to see her. The doctor though had to sent her to the hospital to check, because it might be a case of TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) so Aire needs to sit through the woman's rant and verbal attacks of 'them' which she usually means 'her' being stupid and incompetent worker. Thank the lord God that she is an old woman, if not, she would have decked her at the ambulance there and then.

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) of the head was clear, but the neurologist advised her to have an angiography to rule out lacunar infarction, but the old woman declined saying he's not really a doctor because he can't tell simple collapse from soaps versus stroke.

So instead of going home her usual time, their head, Francine asked her to file an overtime just to make sure that the old woman is fine before she leaves. No one really gets along with the woman but her. So now she is tired and hungry, and hoping to all angels that Daniela decided to splurge on dinner, or she'll eat raw meat, disgusting or not.

She was already all smiles as she enter the kitchen and saw the woman she was thinking about sitting on the bar stool, a covered plate in front of her and… glaring daggers at her? "O - hi…"

"Aeru Samantha Simoun…" Regina growled,

"Oops, full name basis said like a lion… I think i'll pass on dinner, despite my small intestines eating my larger ones-" and before she could back pedal and exit the kitchen, a folder was slapped hard on the counter before her causing a single, photocopied document to peeked out. She slowly retrieved it while her eyes were glued on the chocolate brown eyes that has darkened, before she look down at the paper. "Oh!" She smiled, "Does this mean Emma got the job?" and then a deeper growl… this Daniela is scary. "Did I do something wrong?"

Silence

"Did. You. Do. Something. Wrong?!" Regina stood up abruptly and Aire's eyes widened when out of the blue the woman opposite was now stepping beside her, face invading her personal space.

"What the fuck... "

"Do you realized what you've done?!" Regina screamed, her face red from anger, "I was running from this woman and YOU brought her closer to me! Are you a fucking moron?!"

Aire looked at the file, the name and to the woman's picture pasted on the resume, "You mean this is the SHE devil?" she asked surprised, "HEY!" she said pushing Regina away a bit, "What the fuck, it wasn't my fault! If you have given me a name then I wouldn't be playing angel and help her out! She looked like a kicked puppy!"

Here Regina deflated and sighed, "Yes - yes, its probably my fault… but Aire, you can't just blurt out to random people private hirings!"

Aire frowned, "I know, but I'm a good judge of character, and she looks A-ok to me unless she is that good a witch to blindside me."

'Well she isn't, she's not even good at lying, she has good character, it's just too good it crawls under my skin.' she thought as silence descended upon them again, broken by Aire's stomach gurgling. "I made lasagne, I was too worked up I had to do something, there's a plate full…"

"Oh thank god! I'd eat all of it!" The blonde woman sidestepped the other and went to sit on the barstool as she pulled the large plate towards her, she opened it and inhale the smell of the best lasagne she'd ever tasted in her twenty eight years of life. She stood, took a fork, returned and took her very first bite, "Hmmm," she moaned and then took another, "So what are you going to do now? I'm sorry Danny, I really didn't know, if you have told me the name of your stalker, I would have been cautious you know? I'm not really a blabbermouth."

"I just didn't thought that fate would be playing with me like this…" she looked at the woman enjoying her cooking, the way she wolf down the lasagne reminds her of the people she is running away from right now. "... and for fate to bring you into this," she shook her head. She looked out the window of the kitchen, "All I can do right now is to keep up my pretense."

"You can't feign amnesia forever Danny, sooner or later something is going to happen and your secret will be revealed. You'll hurt her."

Regina frowned, "And you think I care if I hurt her?"

Aire smiled, "Well, if you really don't care, why make this big a fuss? Why not just face her, tell her to back off and go back to where she belongs, there's no need to get so affected by her coming over here. You could be as callous as you can be if you don't care about her getting hurt." she flips her long blonde hair, trying to impersonate the raven haired woman, "Oh please Ms. Swan, I have no time for your pathetic excuse for wooing me, begone and leave the hell out of my town!"

Regina just raised one brow, "It's not funny,"

"Well tell me I at least get the hair flip right?"

"Not in your lifetime Aire, and don't think I have forgiven you for this,"

Aire smiled and nodded, "Of course I won't," there was nothing said between them, the raven haired woman let her eat.

"How did you met her?"

Without swallowing Aire replied, "Bus station in our block…"

"Oh my lord, will you swallow them first before you talk? Honestly, you are acting more like that woman, come to think of it!" she said frowning.

The blonde woman swallowed and grinned, "Is that why you agreed for me to get the room despite my obnoxious self? A replacement for Emma Swan hm?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous."

She shrugged her shoulders, "Deny it all you want, we gay people have our own brand of radar! And mine's 'pinging' so loud in my ears I can't hear your disclaimer!"

"Nothing to disclaim, you are once again being your buffoon self." Aire just grinned,

"Anyway, she came to the bus station about a week ago and she's unlucky to have asked Helen, so of course Helen almost ate the woman and I think she was ready to throttle her so I came to Emma's rescue, I doubt she had any idea that Helen could transform into a dragon, and she'd be slayed any moment…" 'Oh Aire, you have no idea what Emma Swan is capable of.' she smiled at the woman recollecting, "Oh… come to think of it, I guess I'm also the one responsible for her stalking you."

Regina frowned again, "Huh?"

"She was asking about the route of the bus, which if I remember you just rode." Aire grinned, melted cheese stuck on her front teeth,

"YOU…"

She raised her hand in surrender, "Didn't we agree that you not naming 'her' was the cause of these mishaps?"

"I wouldn't have to 'name' her if you hadn't told her my bus route!"

"How the hell would I know she's a part of your past? We have not talked about your past ever right?"

Silence

"Are we having our first fight?" Aire grinned, "We're like a couple!" she said returning to her food,

"Oh really? Let me ask Nevi what she thinks of that,"

"She'll think its cool, she's not avert to a threesome with you!"

Regina rolled her eyes, "You and Nevi's fantasies!"

"What, we are both sure there's a body to fantasize under those power clothes." Regina almost smiled. "So you'll just keep on pretending you don't know her? How about her son?"

Regina's ire deflated, "I'd rather not see him." and then she grinned, "How's the home with feeding program?"

Aire's one light brow raise, "You mean visitation plus free food? Are the employees included in the feeding program?" she grinned back.

"Depends, are you going to help me out with my 'Emma' problem?"

She frowned and then wiggled her lips, "Alright, but to make it clear, I don't dislike your Emma. I've met her and talked to her, and aside from this stalking thing, she seemed a very nice person. So there's no way I'm going to hire a killer to get rid of her."

"I'm not suggesting we kill her," Regina rolls her eyes, "All I need from you is to keep quiet, and let me do my thing. If you blurt out one word about my fake amnesia to her, I'll swear to end your happy ending if its the last thing I'll ever do…" she said in her evil queen voice.

"Is it just me or you speaking in that scary voice turns me on?"

Regina grinned as she stood from the bar stool beside the blonde woman and sauntered sexily away before stopping midway, "Oh you're not the only one Aire," she shook her head before turning and stepping out of the kitchen.

The blonde woman just shrugged her shoulders and returned to eating. She's glad she's still alive, she never knew Daniela could be that intense, wait 'til Nevi learns of this…

-0-

Emma could have rode the bus to the market on the bus station near them, but her plan now includes her waking up early, riding the bus, get off and waits for Regina to her usual bus stop and she'll ride the bus (again) with her to work. With Regina without memory of her, she doubt the woman would suspect anything out of the ordinary…

"So when can I meet mom?" Henry asked as he sit on the dining chair and his birth mother put a plate of sunny side up, toasted bread and bacon in front of him, "And when can I drink coffee?"

"For your first question," she said as she went to the closet by the door and retrieve her signature red jacket, "I'm not sure it's great to let you meet her at this point. I'm just starting remember?" She turned to look at her son with worried eyes.

"You know I'm prepared for this right? I think this scenario is actually better than her remembering but refused to see me."

Emma smiled, "I know kid, it's just… I don't want to overwhelm her already. She might pull out, we have no idea how she is here." she stepped beside Henry who was just looking at his food, "As for your second question, as long as you are underage, you get no coffee…"

Henry frowned, "That's unfair, I know you drunk coffee even when you were a child."

Emma grinned, "Maybe, but I do not have a good parental unit remember?" she then slapped her son's shoulder a bit harder to tease, "besides, I want you concentrating on your studies, exams coming."

The boy shrugged his shoulders, "Alright, you'd make me see her though right?"

"Of course, you're actually our ace here remember? We have to break this curse with True Love's kiss." another frown from her kid, "What?"

"What if I'm not mom's true love?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe… maybe she doesn't love me anymore, I can't blame her, for a long time I think I stopped loving her, so why would she keep loving me right?"

"Oh Henry, that's not how that works. We talked about this."

"I know, its just… what if she can't get her memories back even after I kiss her?"

Emma smiled, "And when did you, the most Charming of all become a pessimist? If you had made me believe, then all you have to do is believe in yourself. We'll get through this and bring your mom back with us okay?" Henry smiled and then hugged her, "Okay eat your breakfast, is Mrs. Long okay with you spending time with them again?"

Henry grinned, "Oh yeah, Jake doesn't go to regular school like me, though he can't because he can't control himself from turning into a dragon yet."

Emma raised one brow, "Should I maybe call your grandpa to have his sword be mailed to me or something?"

Henry laughed, "Don't be ridiculous Emma, I think Mrs. Long was just making a joke because Jake has quite a temper, he kept on being sent to detention."

That put a relieved smile on the blonde woman's face, "Alright, but as long as you two are good and not making any mischief…"

"The only mischief we do is troll his sister."

"I don't encourage it, study hard kiddo, and make your mothers proud."

"I try, as always." Emma pat her son's head before stepping away and leaving the unit.

Two bus stops later, she stepped out and then sat at the bench to wait for the right bus number this time. All busses passes this one and just diverge at some point before the market. Five minutes before their bus arrives came Regina. As usual, she didn't sit on the bench, she remained standing and aloof. If she didn't know that she has lost her memory, she would have imagine the woman actually ignoring her, this is how it felt before the curse was broken… before she drove her away with her betrayal.

The look on Regina's face as she disappears in a cloud of purple smoke had haunted her dreams ever since. Even before all of Storybrooke found out that Archie was alive and that it was Hook who took him, there was this voice inside her head that keeps telling her she made her biggest mistake. Yes, putting Henry for adoption was never a mistake, and Regina was her greatest, and she would forever regret it. That was the last time she saw the woman, and now that she's once again in front of her, all she wanted to see was a quirk on those red lips. She wanted to see her angry, to come at her with all her hate, to get Henry back from her again. She wanted to feel alive just like before… and not this shell that used to be the Regina she used to know.

Karma does hurt like hell.

Her attention was caught by their bus coming. It just so happened that the bus door was directly at in front of her, so she entered and found a single vacant seat. Regina entered and her eyes roamed the bus, when she found that there was no seat for her, she was to turn and step out, Emma can't have that so she called out, "Ah Ms. Miller," and she caught the woman's attention who looked at her.

"Yes?" she asked with one raise brow,

"You can have my seat!" She squeaked and then stood. It seems the brunette was lost for word, she probably was contemplating on declining her offer and just go wait for the next bus, so she continued, "As my boss, I mean it's right I offer you my seat. I can stand."

Her boss nodded and slowly stepped to her and sat. Then she looked up at Emma who decided to stand in front of the woman she was dying to talk to. "Thank you," Regina said, "And you are?"

"Oh," 'ouch' "It's Emma Swan, actually we've met before…"

-0-

Regina raised one brow, 'Is she going for it here? In the bus? Like right now?!' she thought. Her sunglasses hiding the panic in her eyes. Her breathing schooled.

"I had a shopping mishap at the store, and you helped me out and even gave me a large discount as an apology."

She almost sighed in relief, "I see, and your boss?"

"I'm proud to say that I am now under your employ." Emma grinned and curse herself for smiling at the woman. What is Emma Swan doing to her?

"Thank you again," she said and then turn her focus outside the window. She can feel Emma Swan's eyes on her though. She discreetly looked down to see her get up and then looked up to see Emma who hurriedly averted her eyes, face flushed. 'My, my, my...'

The next fifteen minutes bus ride was spent in uncomfortable silence, broken when they arrived at their destination. She's not supposed to go to work since it's a Saturday, but she had an important announcement to make.

As they entered the market, Regina looked at Emma who was walking beside her, "Ms. Swan…"

-0-

Emma almost grinned, now that she missed so much. She has never been happy being just Ms. Swan until this very moment. "Yes?"

"I'd give you an assignment, I need you to gather all the staff at the AVR at 12. I have an important matter to discuss. Understood?" 'that tone telling her - do it or else - was a reminder of what she had lost.

"Of course," This Regina smiled at her, just like at the bus and she thought her heart galloped out of her chest 'whoah...' and then she walked away from her.

-0-

12PM saw most of the staff, besides the cashiers and the baggers who are on deck at the moment, at the AVR. Regina had stood on the stage, Jed sitting at a chair at the side of the chair holding a pen and a memo pad.

"I called you here because there is a change in our feeding plan. You all know that every last Sunday, we do a feeding program to the street children and their families. This month, I would like to add another charity day. Tomorrow will be the start of this new tradition." She smiled as she eyed each and everyone of us. "It come to my attention that it's not only this children that needs attention from their community. Old folks in home, left by their families may not be as indigent, but they wanted company too. So I propose that we add another Sunday to make time for our elderlies housed in Joy Luck Home."

"Can we afford to close the market twice a month?" One of the supervisors asked.

"We can't, so my proposition is we juggle between these two communities. We could do the feeding program to each every other month, except this month." There was buzz in the room which sounds positive. "So since I get no violent reactions, I might safely say that you all agree?" There were mumbled reply of yes. "So tomorrow, we will have a skeleton schedule. Half of those who have duties tomorrow will come here and half to the home, and then shift decks in the afternoon. The new trainees though will be required to be at the home from morning to afternoon. Any question?"

There were none so Regina closed the meeting and she went down from the stage and left.

Emma grinned, maybe tomorrow she could bring Henry. Luna told her their boss allows family to come during feeding programs. This is a good start to introduce Henry to his amnesic mother.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Waiting for the Bus

Six

So Sunday came.

Joy Luck Home for the Aged had prepared the day, the head nurse of the facility Francine chose those who had agreed to join the program, except for one, Helen Walsh who by default is included and Aire will be there to manage whoever will be assigned to the hellion patient. But the blonde know who the unlucky soul will be, besides she had agreed to let Daniela do what it is she deemed was right to do to keep Emma Swan off her tail.

Aire and Neviril had gone to the home early. This was only the second time that an NGO (Non Government Organization) had come to their facility to do charity program. And this being Savemore organization owned by her friend and housemate Daniela Miller, who had been getting praises from Francine since the first time they met, was rendered an event that must leave a mark to every Joy Luck Home employees. And this program to become regular, Francine was beside herself to impress her imposing housemate.

Aire's attention was caught by the other blonde woman in Daniela's life, helping other JL employees in arranging the grounds where most of the program will be held. With her is another woman, black, curly hair, beautiful, smiling face wearing the blue polo style t-shirt with a yellow 'savemore' logo on the left breast side chatting with a young boy, about eleven or twelve years old, brunette and has a smile that reminds her very much of Emma Swan in the short time they have known each other. She smiled and sauntered to the blonde woman. "Emma,"

Emma looked up from cleaning one of the monoblocks that has been spread around, "Aire!" she said excited, "You are here?"

"I work here," She said smiling and then eyeing the boy, "If I may guess, that good looking young man is your boy?" she saw the other blonde nod her head, "She looks so much like you,"

Emma smiled, "Well, not everything about him is mine… he is actually more of…" she frowned, and was surprised when a simple pat in her shoulder was given.

"I think I understand," she turned and looked at the boy who raised his head and his eyes found that of his mother's, Emma on the other hand waved and the boy said his excuse to the woman he was working with and sauntered towards Emma.

"Ma," Henry had decided to calling Emma 'Ma', a shortened form of her name when his mother told him of this charity program his mother had started. He thought it wouldn't be wise to confuse his amnesic mother why he was calling his birth mother by her name.

"Henry," Emma called out as she put an arm around the boy's shoulder.

"Hello," he said to the blonde woman his mother was talking to.

"Hello there," Aire smiled,

"This is Aire, remember I told you about some angel who helped me get a job in the store?" At Henry's nod she added, "This is her,"

"Oh," Henry was so into the acting, "She does look like an angel." Here Aire laughed out loud.

"Charming!" She said once she stopped, "But I'm no angel, I just so happen to know that they are in need of a stacker immediately." She then eyed Emma., "I hope they were treating you well?" she then winked.

"Oh they do." Emma replied, "Mr. Yun is a little bit strict, almost always behind my back watching, but he never said I'm doing bad with stacking cold cuts." she looked around, "Besides, anyone who would think of programs like this can't be bad to their employees."

Aire nodded, "Daniela, the owner is one hell of a perfectionist, stricter than Ms. Minchin, but she made sure all her employees are well compensated and gets good medical service." Henry tried hard to contain his chuckle, "What?" Aire looked at Emma puzzled.

"Beats me, I never seemed to get what's running in his head, and I'm supposed to be his mother!" Emma grinned.

"Ms. Minchin…" the only words he had to utter to explain his behavior.

Aire did get where Henry's head went, but looking at his mother who was still looking confuse… she shook her head. "So you know the store's owner?" Emma asked diverging their convo from Ms. Minchin,

Aire was about to answer and dig her own hole deeper when Neviril, her pink dyed, curly haired gf stepped beside the blonde woman and puts her arm around the taller woman's waist, "Aeru," she said sweetly, "Francine is looking for you, something about opening remarks?"

The taller blonde frowned, "What about it?"

"You're chosen to deliver it,"

"Why me?" And all she got for an answer was a raised eyebrow from her girlfriend. She then sighed and looked at mother and son, "I'm sorry, I better see what Francine has in store for me, enjoy your stay?"

"We plan to!" Henry said eyeing the two women. When the two were out of earshot, Henry said, "They look quite a pair,"

Emma smiled, "They look lovely,"

Henry grinned, "I'm sure you and mom…" Emma turned her head suddenly on her son,

"Don't finish that thought…"

"What? I just thought you two look quite a pair!"

"If you're using that as an ammunition to get your mother back, then you might want to think again." And then they were called out one by one to draw lots, but of course the three employees on trainee were given each a piece of paper. Emma looked at what she'd been given and then show it to Henry.

"Helen Walsh, that sounds like a name I'd want for a grandmother."

Emma frowned, "That name sounds familiar…" and her superpower is hitting all time high on this one. "Henry,"

"Yes Emma?" he said looking around,

"I don't feel good about this one," she mumbled.

Henry laughed, "Oh don't be so dramatic Ma, not every old woman is as scary as Granny!"

If Henry only knew…

-0-

"Where the hell are you?" Aire was speaking loudly into the phone. The employees of both parties were being loud since it was the time for each savemore people to draw lots and meet with their prospective partner. JL Employees were too glad to just be at the sideline for now and watch as people gather to bring smile on old faces that seemed to have been long forgotten.

"I'm on my way!" Regina hissed on the phone. The blonde woman looked at her phone.

"What were you doing? I do not peg you as someone who comes late in a program YOU yourself started." She sighed, "You're supposed to deliver the opening speech!"

Aire could feel the grin on the other woman's face, "So since I'm coming in late, who will be doing the speech?"

"Me!" and then she heard the laugh, "Oh you… you really planned this?"

"What my dear are you talking about? I have to checked on my store, we are on deck and its a Sunday, I have to make sure everything is going smoothly!"

"Jed could have taken care of that!"

"What kind of an owner I am if I just leave it all to my assistant?"

"DANIELA! You hurry your sweet ass and be here before the opening ceremony!"

She could feel another grin, wider this time from the raven haired woman, "Oh my, is this some cosmic fate? It's a jam and someone should remove that truck blocking the way…"

"Daniela Miller, there is no truck…"

"Oh I'm losing my signal! See you Aire…" 'click' the blonde woman looked at her phone now seething.

"I'll get you back for this Daniela!" she growled and was rewarded by a soft pat on her shoulder by her girlfriend.

"Dear Aeru, you do realize Daniela is just starting on getting back at you for…" she looked at the crowd and eyed Emma, "...her," Aire followed her gaze and sighed,

"So it's just starting?"

The pink haired woman nodded her head, "Never thought Daniela has an evil streak behind those angelic face."

"Isn't it?" Then the taller woman looked at the stage and took a deep breath, "You got my back right?"

"Of course Aeru, always…" then she grinned and Aire raised one brow and then shivers.

"Later," she purred.

-0-

Henry thought his mother had a heart attack when they were brought to the side part of the ground and found themselves in front of an old lady that was now looking at them as if she wanted to eat them. "Ma…"

Emma took a deep breath, "I think now I remember," then she looked around and found Aire walking up the stage, "And I thought Aire was an angel…"

"Ma, this woman is looking at us like we're the main meal in this program!" Henry hissed at his mother and then looked at the livid looking woman and gave her a nervous smile and wave of hand. "I think she's turning into a dragon…"

"Alright," She turned to her son, "We are in this together,"

"What? You didn't say anything about her…" he said eyeing the old woman covertly.

"Henry," Emma hissed, "I remember that woman, she was under Aire's care and she's trouble with a capital T. If you think your Grandma Cora was bad just from reading about her in your book? This woman tops her!" Emma 'sushed' Henry when the microphone activated and Aire started with the usual 'mic test'

And then her speech started… awkwardly at first, but Emma thought now it was dragging and the speech has become a stand up comedy of sort. But then she thought no one really cared about how the speech went on and on when the gate opened and in walk…

Regina Mills.

Henry smiled widely at the sight of his mother but then his attention was caught by his birth mother who was stunned in place, jaw wide open and eyes wide. He chuckled and he 'almost' pushed his mother's lower jaw up, but decided against it. He then return his focus on his mom, she looks healthy, not only that, with her attire… she looks smoking hot. He understood his birth mother's gawking.

His mother, Regina Mills is wearing a white button up, ¾ sleeved shirt that he thought must be one size smaller, for her well toned abdomen were almost visible, the shirt on top has three buttons undone showing off his mother's choice of brassiere. It was complemented by a black fitting skirt that falls above her knees, finished with at least 4 inches black stiletto shoes (so he needs a ruler to measure the heels). Only his mother could make a simple power clothes into a fantasy inducing attire.

"...Ma," he said elbowing Emma, "You're drooling," he said before biting his lips.

Emma shook her head, "What?" she looked at her son, "What's funny?" Instead of replying Henry handed her a handkerchief "What?"

"Drool Ma, you better wipe it off." He then looked at his other mother who went straight in front of the stage. He furrowed his forehead, "I thought she'd be coming over here…"

Emma pats her son's shoulder, "She doesn't know you remember? And I'm just a trainee that doesn't really warrant her attention."

"I really thought she looked our way,"

"She looks at every way Henry, I told you, if you're coming you have better not get your hopes up."

"But we'll do something right? I should just probably go to her and kiss her so we can all go back to Storybrooke."

Emma sighed, "Henry, that's not what we've talk about…"

"I know but I missed her,"

"I know Henry, I know," she wanted to voice out that she too missed the woman. Storybrooke wasn't the same without her. HER life wasn't the same without her. 'When the hell did my life began to revolve around Regina?'

The whole town MISSES Regina. Regina Mills may have been dubbed the Evil Queen, but life in Storybrooke was less stressful in the twenty eight years that she had kept them under the curse. No one had ever complained of getting less paid, or of getting hungry. Except for Ava and Nicolas who she found out was swept under the curse and remained under Regina's radar, hence the 'orphan' status. Now that the barrier is weakening, and that Storybrooke seemed to be assimilating to the real world, the balance of their life had tilted and no one knew what to do.

Snow White almost lost all her beautiful hair (cut as it was) because she has no idea about this world's politics and David or Prince Charming were running everyone rugged with his incessant pushing of people able to fight to practice and guard the town line. Regina's magic could have spared them all the stress.

And Rumplestiltskin, the maker of the 'monster' they all believed her to be, the man who had tried to kill Regina by sending a wraith for her soul, the man who had purposefully taken her and Henry out of Storybrooke to hurt the woman is lying quietly in a glass coffin and under a sleeping curse and would be forever trapped there or die waking up from the poison if Regina doesn't get back to Storybrooke and make the antidote for the nightshade. Because as she had learned, Regina didn't learn only from Rumple, but she also learned potion making from Maleficent who was the know all be all of all spells.

And SHE hadn't had a decent sleep for so long. Because she failed Regina and the look of betrayal on her face was enough to drive her nuts. It was a good thing that brain can only take a full 72 hours without sleep before it automatically shuts down, it wasn't doing her any good until she came to New York and meet Regina… or should she start calling her Daniela? It sounds weird to call someone you always knew by another name.

Her musing was interrupted by the loud applause and then she saw Aire going down the platform giving way to Regina Mills a.k.a. Daniela Miller. She looked beside her to find her son beaming as he watched his adoptive mother take the floor from the blonde JL employee.

-0-

Emma was sure Mr. Yun had put her with Mrs. Helen Walsh. Her direct boss seemed to be having a good time watching her behind her back as if she was some criminal going to take every cold cuts home, so she was cursing the man in her head as she struggle not to strangle the old woman with her bare hands. And Henry really was no help, his puppy pouts and tantalizing eyes didn't soften the old lady, but she is Emma Swan, she is capable of everything and giving up on this difficult woman is not in her agenda because…

It feels like giving up on Helen is like giving up on Regina.

Her help arrived finally after an hour of gruesome listening to the old woman reciting everything she did wrong in the short time that she had been with her. Aire stepped beside her and she was dragging her boss, Daniela Miller with her.

"Oh Helen, come on, are you trying give my employee an early heart attack?" Regina said smiling, and the smile widened when the old woman huffed.

"Why am I here? I told that idiot woman whats her name?" She asked directing her question to Aire who was in between Emma and Regina.

"You mean Francine?"

"That idiot!"

"You know she's the one making sure you have food in your stomach, so you better stop calling her an idiot, I don't think she appreciates that!" The taller blonde said.

"And I care? She wants to kick me out into the curb? Go on! I have been living by myself even before you get out of diapers!" she huffed, "I told her I'd rather stay in my room! How come the other can stay in their rooms?!"

"That's because they have good behavior. We cannot leave you alone for a minute without you throwing anything!"

"This is HELL! I am still alive and I am already living in HELL!" the old woman shouted.

"Well demons do live in hell," Emma mumbled which cause the three other around to chuckle.

"What were you saying? Just because I cannot hear you clearly means I didn't know you're sassing with me woman!" Helen said glaring at Emma.

"I was just saying this can't be hell, there are no fires yet." Emma said bluntly.

Regina actually laughed, "Helen…" she said stepping close to the irate woman, "...I thought we are good together, you see this is my program and I thought you'd at least want someone to visit you constantly."

"I want to be left alone!" The old woman said less irate now.

Regina just sighed and then looked at her companions, "I see you got yourself another blonde to take care of you huh?" she said eyeing Emma.

Aire grinned, "I requested for her," she said, "Oh Daniela, I'm sure you noticed she has your store's logo, so this is Emma Swan and I recommended her to Mr. Yun."

Emma bit her lower lips, "Oh I remember her, it was only yesterday that she actually offered me her seat at the bus. I remember of course." The brunette said in her most official way.

"And this fine looking lad is her son, ah…"

"Hi," Henry squeaked. His face was bright and there were tears threatening to fall from his eyes, "I...I'm Henry." The boy stepped forward to give his adoptive mother a hug but Regina or Daniela, as he recalled brought her hand up for a shake.

"Wow, you seemed to have raise such a polite boy," she said as she took Henry's hand in a firm shake and let's go as soon as ethics dictates. She smiled at the boy and then at Emma's, "He has good grip." she teased, "If it isn't a crime to hire a boy as young as your son, I might have hired him in the store. Polite and strong, good combination," she looked at Aire, "Isn't it?"

Emma was about to say something when Henry suddenly began crying and excused himself. "I'm sorry, Henry is a bit down lately, let me see what's up and I'll get back to Mrs. Walsh…"

"Oh go get your son, I'm sure Ms. Simoun can handle Helen while you're gone." She was frowning, "I hope I didn't say anything wrong though…"

"No!" Emma shook her head vehemently, "He's just a bit ah… sensitive." The smaller blonde stepped back, "I'll go check on him, I'll be quick."

-0-

Regina bit her bottom lip as soon as Emma was out of sight. Aire had given Helen something to do while waiting for Emma's return, hopefully with her son. "That's some kind of reaction, Daniela, what's really going on?"

"That is nothing but a farce Aire. Henry… he just knows what buttons to push, and I can't just let him do it." she sighed, "It hurts you know, he is…" she sighed again, "I just can't let him pull me into some sense of security only for him to push me again when I am not needed. I'm tired of it Aire, I'm tired of it." She turned around, "Perhaps its better that I do not see him for the rest of the day."

"So what's your plan?"

"Get busy,"

TBC

I do not own Joy Luck if you were thinking of The Joy Luck Club.


	7. Chapter 7

**WAITING FOR THE BUS**

_Seven_

Emma put a plate of their favorite food in front of the boy who had been quiet since they'd come home about two hours ago. The JL program started by Regina Mills was a success. Francine Rudder was all praise to the woman, as well as her employees and who wouldn't? Not everyone cares about people that aren't affecting their lives in some way. This just proves that Regina Mills, former Evil Queen was not born that way, because no pure evil would think of such project that brings smile to usually sad people.

Helen Walsh was not immune to it, she knew she saw the dragon smile once or twice the entire day.

So after Henry's introduction to his amnesic mother, and after Henry's sudden crying and disappearance, Regina seemed to start pulling away. She have not seen the woman still, she was around and when it seemed she had butt in all her employee's business – minus hers – disappeared without a word. And that just dampened Henry's mood more. If she didn't know that Regina actually had lost her memories, she would have thought the woman was being cruel.

Or maybe she was not use to seeing Henry being not the center of Regina's world. If the woman had not lost her memory and she had done the same, would she fault the woman? She knew Henry had hurt the woman who had cared and loved him for his first ten years of life, almost eleven... that's like forever in Henry's world. He had pushed her away, called her evil, stopped calling her mother, and preferred his grandfather's company than hers. He had never known what it was to feel being pushed away...

And he's now learning it the hard way.

Some may argue, like Snow, Charming and Ruby that Henry is but a boy. But in Emma's head, he stopped being an innocent boy when he stole Snow – then Mary Margaret – credit card and went to Boston to fetch her. He stopped being a boy when he acts on what he wants and decided not to listen to any adult. So now that he is being given a dose of his own medicine, everyone cries foul for he is a kid? At age 8 she had to be an adult all on her own to survive.

"Eat Henry, you haven't touched any food since lunch." She said, hands akimbo watching her dreary looking son.

"I don't feel like eating,"

"It's not the end of the world Henry,"

The boy looked at her, "I should have just kissed her! I could have broken the curse!"

Emma smiled and shook her head, "Let's say that's correct,"

Henry frowned, "You don't believe that I am Mom's true love?"

"I'm not saying that Henry, all I'm saying is... if you are hers, and she has no idea about it, you think it would work?" Emma tapped one of her feet on the ground.

"It's worth a try?"

"And what would you feel if it doesn't work?" Here the blonde woman saw the sudden realization in Henry's head. He would be crashed if there is no effect.

"But I missed her, I... want to be with her."

Emma sighed, "You may believe me or not, but I know how you feel. But we had done so much pushing and you and I know we'd pushed so hard that your mom breaks." she smiled, "We should be thankful she just resorted to leaving Storybrooke than re-cursing us all, and to a place where there is no electricity, plumbing and cellphones. That would be really evil right?"

Henry had a sad smile on his face, "I did all the pushing, I know she left because of me, not you..."

She patted his back, "It's not all you. It's the whole damn town. If no one wants you, why stay right?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "And now everyone wants her back."

"Because life isn't the same without her."

"Yeah," Henry looked down at his plate of super large burger and fries. "If mom knows you're feeding me nothing but junk, she'll go ballistic."

Emma grinned, "So when she gets her memory back, this is going to be our secret. Besides, once we get your mom back, I doubt we'll be getting a taste of this junk ever." _We... when did I started thinking of __**we**__?_

Henry grabbed the burger and before he take a bite, "That's a very acceptable reason for eating junks,"

"I know you'll see it my way,"

-0-

Regina finds herself sitting at the large porch swing nursing a glass of whiskey, her third glass for tonight. It was still early and her brain wouldn't stop working to give her some needed sleep. Today, she didn't expect Emma Swan to have the gull to bring _their_ son into the company's program, and pushing the boy away when in her heart and soul, she wanted to pull her son in and never let go had brought so many unwanted feelings in her. And having those feelings again after more than a year of angst free life was taxing to her. So she decided to open a bottle and drown all the angst away...

If only Johny works, but it seemed he is failing big time.

She almost jumped at her feet when the swing suddenly rocked, when she looked at her right she saw her blonde housemate sitting, a glass of her own whiskey in hand. "First of, I didn't recall allowing you to have a taste of _my_ whiskey, and second, why are you out here?"

Aire grinned and sipped before replying, "First of, _your_ whiskey is open and lying lonely on the bar, it would be rude of me not to partake in his loneliness. And for your second point, I should ask you the same." Her blue eyes focused on the woman beside her who just shrugged her shoulders. "I know I have no right to dig on your past Danny, but..." she sighed deep, "I'm your friend and I'm kind'a worried."

"Nothing to worry Aire,"

"Yeah, you tell me that but still..." both women were now looking at the post light just outside their gate. "That Henry, the boy,"

"Is an issue I really don't want to talk about."

"Tsk," she shook her head, "You know my mom – may her soul rest in peace – she would say the hurt becomes less when you voice out what's hurting you. I'm just saying..."

"And my mother – who I doubt her soul's in peace – always say to keep my mouth shut because voicing out what hurt you makes you weak."

One light brow raised, "Forgive me for saying this, but you got one fuck up mother then!"

"Oh nothing to forgive, I know that to be true."

"And I wonder how she was able to raise such a good daughter like you."

Regina smiled, "I have no idea what you're talking about. In hindsight, I think I am just like my mother."

"No way, you Daniela Miller is not a fuck up. As a matter of fact, you are one kind, generous and caring person all rolled up and covered in this gorgeous woman."

Regina huffed, "How many glasses have you taken Aire? You sound like flirting..."

"First glass for your information, and I always flirt with you... you only figure that out now?"

The older woman chuckled and shook her head, "I don't really know what's normal and what's flirting with you."

"Ha-ha! With you my normal would be flirting, so get used to it." Nothing was said for moments until the blonde broke the silence, "Henry looked hurt after I introduced him to you, but he looked crashed when he learned you left." she leaned her back on the swing's back rest, "I can't help but ask, because it was obvious there was more to him than being... well... Henry."

Silence. The brunette was contemplating if she should tell the woman about Henry, it really wasn't Aire's place to pry but she was right, she'll never get the sleep she needs if she keeps it inside. Maybe an abridged version of the truth? She looked at the other woman who had just raised the glass to her lips to drink, and she grinned.

"Henry is my son," and her grin widened at the reaction she got from the woman. Aire was now wheezing as some of those whiskey she inhaled went to the wrong tube and some flew out of her mouth and into the porch's floor, "You are cleaning the floor after, Aire, no mañana habit tonight."

"Fucking excuse me, you don't drop a bomb like that and expect me to not react this way!" Aire said as she calmed herself from the near death experience, "Or is this still part of you getting back at me?"

Regina raised one palm in a placating manner, "That thought didn't even enter my head," she said with a grin.

"You're saying that and yet your face says another," she breathed out a sigh of relief, "Your son? I thought he was Emma's... "her eyes widened and looked at the other woman with excitement, "I thought you said you didn't swing my way?!" The older woman just frowned at her with one brow raised, "So you and Emma had a son together and you tell me you weren't in a relationship with her? Don't take me for a fool..."

"It's not like that idiot!"_ huh... when was the last time I used that word... idiot..._

"Oh? Care to enlighten me?" She watched the brunette roll her eyes.

"I adopted Henry after he was born, Emma have to give him up for adoption, now don't you be asking me about why Emma would do that, but she has no choice that time. I was lonely and I thought having a baby was the answer..."

"So he is not?"

The older woman smiled, a genuine one, "He became my world but... well, nothing good really last long in my case. I..." she swallowed trying to push the angst down her throat, "I'm just not meant to be happy I guess."

"That's bullshit!"

"My thought exactly but... I guess it was true." she smiled as she looked at the other woman, "Here, after I moved here, I think I might have felt a portion of happiness, its not what I have in mind but it's better than being... well..." two brows raise and back down before she shrugged her shoulders.

"So what? Henry found out he was adopted and his mother found him and he decided to live with her?"

Brunette head shook, "No, more like Henry found his mother."

"And left you?" Aire watched Regina nod her head, "And you let him?"

"The saying goes – when you love someone, set her or him free and if he comes back to you -"

"And again that's just..."

"I know, but I'm tired of being the villain in his life, so I gave him what he wanted."

"So you left,"

"Yes."

"If I were in your shoes? The softest rod I could use to spank him is a 2x2!" (1)

"That's child abuse, besides we both know, you are a child yourself so you really can't do that to your own child, adopted or not."

Aire shrugged her shoulders, "I guess he got what he deserves huh,"

"I don't know..."

"Look," she faced her friend, "I won't tell Emma that you told me cause that would blow your cover, but listen, it will blow up. Not that it's going to change anything anyway, it's not like they could kick you out cause they already did that, but still, in the end, you'll be the one who'll end up being hurt the most."

"So what do you suggest I do?"

"Come clean with them. Tell them the truth. And if you really don't want to have anything to do with them, tell them in no uncertain term. Kicked them out, tell them to leave you the hell alone. That's at least fair for all parties."

"Emma is not going to go. I know her, she won't go..."

"Well NY is a free place, they can stay but still they can stay out of your life."

Regina nods her head, "You're right," then she smiled, "But let them stew for a while huh?"

"Nevi was right, you got an evil streak in you."

"If you only knew,"

"And I hate when you say that,"

TBC

A filler chapter, just want to write the post program reaction.

1 – in my country we used this phrase 'E mahina palang pamalo sa anak mo ang dos por dos' when two parents are chatting about their children, and one is a child that brings nothing but grief to their parent (mostly just mothers). I wrote the English translation of this phrase. It is not illegal in my country to spank kids, as a matter of fact, it is used mostly to discipline them. But of course with the influence coming from abroad (mostly US), and with the more read and professional parents, spanking is not used by them. We also have Bantay Bata for the real abusive parents.


	8. Chapter 8

WAITING FOR THE BUS

Eight

Start of a new work week for Emma Swan. After the third time she pushed her mobile's snooze button (since she decided to use her mobile phone as her alarm clock), she finally relented and stood up, stretched her relaxed body and then went on doing her early morning routines before she goes to the kitchen and prepare Henry's breakfast. This week is the boy's exam over the web, and she hoped what happened yesterday does not affect the child's performance. She shrugged her shoulders, she had fate in Henry and she knew he'll pass with flying colors.

At the kitchen, she withdrew her mobile from her front pocket and checked for a message from the bounty office, as expected, there's no case for her yet. So she started putting out utensils to whip Henry a simple omelet, the extent of her cooking ability, plus toasted bread. Thank the modern world for toasters with automatic settings. Henry went out of his room all dress up for the day twenty minutes later, and without word sat on the dining chair. She put the plated egg and bread plus a glass of apple juice in front of the boy.

"When's your first test?" she asked.

"Wednesday," he smiled, "Don't worry, I got it under control."

"I know, just asking to be sure I know your schedule. What kind of a mom would I be if I don't yeah?"

Henry nodded, "So..." he bit his lips, "You think its okay if I visit you at work? I mean, I could take the bus and get you at the end of your shift."

Emma smiled, _her son is really trying_, "Look, that would be okay but I doubt its okay this fast, you just met her yesterday and she was kind of rattled when you started crying and excused yourself..."

"Oh..."

"Yeah oh." she grinned, "But I think having her get used to seeing you is okay but not this week."

"Why?"

"Because I need you to concentrate on your exams first. Its just this week, promise after your exam you can always get me at work everyday."

Henry's smile this time is beaming, "Okay, I love that."

"I know you would," She walked to the coat rack near the door and pull out her trusty red, leather jacket. "So what's your agenda today?"

The boy swallowed the first bite he took first and washed it with a sip of juice before replying, "Just staying here, I don't think I can concentrate at Mrs. Long's house, especially since the exam is near and Jake's sister won't stop bothering us."

"Okay," she then took money from her pocket and left it on the drawer near the coat rack, "I'll leave money here, you can order pizza for lunch. I'll just buy take out later, something healthy... probably Chinese for dinner? Is that okay?"

"I'm a growing boy Ma, I can eat anything..."

"...but broccoli,"

"You don't eat them too!"

Emma shrugged, "I need more muscle mass so sue me!" mother and son laughed, "I'll check on you often since you'd be staying alone, so make sure you have your mobile with you, and please, don't put your ipod on full blast, you need to hear if I'm calling you."

"Yes Ma,"

"Lock the door, and make sure you check first before entertaining the delivery guy or girl..."

"Yes Ma,"

"Don't try to cook by yourself, we are only temporary renting..."

"Ma! You're becoming more like mom."

Emma grinned, "What I'm telling your mom, when she gets her memory back is how I now understand her constant panic regarding you and your safety the first time I get into Storybrooke," _but that would be after I told her how I missed her terribly, how my life felt empty without her._

"Yeah do that, now go before you missed her at her bus stop." So his mother waved a hand before she disappeared from his sight. He smiled and shook his head as he returned to his breakfast.

-0-

Regina was not sure if she'll feel relieved or disappointed that Emma Swan is absent in the bus station. Actually, she's wondering where the woman is staying. She's berated herself when she didn't took notice of the woman's address when she had her file on her hand, the mere thought of the blonde being hired in her store brought her into panic making her forget about everything else but her existence.

She wondered because if Emma is waiting in this bus station as hers, then that could mean that the woman is living somewhat near her abode which for her would be problematic. Having Emma at work is already putting stress on her psyche, what more if the blonde is living within her community? She'll probably go insane! She had arrived earlier than usual and sat at the bench, right leg crossed over the other. Thoughts running rampant and everything about the blonde hellion that suddenly appeared once again in her life.

_It seems no matter how I try to run from her, she still finds a way to find me! Swan and her Charming genes_! And her musing was cut short by the aforementioned woman crossing the street towards her.

Emma on the other hand was relieved that she decided to go down one bus stop ahead and walked towards her intended station. She felt it was too early to be in the station so she decided she'll walk her way to her destination, one bus stop away. And how lucky she was, because there she saw Regina sitting by the bench, waiting for the bus.

She can't let the woman suspect anything from her, if she went off at the exact station, she would have to explain why she cut off ride at this bus station, when there's a nearer bus station that goes by the store's route. So to make it more believable, she cross the street and then cross again. If anyone noticed, they'd think she's crazy.

_But who cares? They can think what they like! Fuck them!_

"Good morning..." The blonde smiled, "Mrs. Miller." she greeted as she stood beside the bench where Regina was sitting. "May I sit?"

Regina smiled wide, and then she raise one brow, "Of course dear," she frowned when she remembered that she shouldn't have used the word 'dear', she's supposed to have amnesia. Emma looked at her looking stunned, "Something on my face...dear?" she said deciding, that since she already slipped, it will be detrimental to her cover if she suddenly corrects it. _Besides, she's not the only one who uses 'dear' as catchphrase._

"Ah," the blonde was at a lost. _She said dear, does that mean... no... anyone could use that, its just... hearing her say it reminds her of what she and Henry have lost._ "No nothing Mrs. Miller," another raise of one well manicured brow was the reply she got as she sat at the bench, "I just remembered something... I mean..."

"Miss Swan isn't it?" And again, Emma was caught by the familiar phrase coming from a familiar face and voice but knew that it is never the same. _Probably Henry is right, he needs to kiss his mother and be done with this curse once and for all._ She nodded her head, "I do believe every employee of mine knew that I am not married, and that it is Miss Miller for you."

Emma smiled, the professionally irate voice also is a reminder, as well as the sass... everything is a reminder of what could have been if she hadn't been stupid enough to believe a dog over the woman who had put her trust in her. She failed Regina and she and Henry are paying the price. "I'm sorry..." she saw the older woman waved a hand.

Nothing was said between them for a while and the silence was broken by the blonde woman, "If you don't mind me asking..."

"And if I mind Miss Swan?"

The blonde bit her bottom lip, "I won't ask then?" There was a grin that formed on the woman's face, "...but I guess you got me there," another grin was the answer.

"So?"

"Hm?"

"You're going to ask..."

"Oh," she rubbed her nape, "I'm just wondering how come the owner of one of the biggest store in this part of the town is commuting, I mean aren't you supposed to be driving? Or at least has a driver to take you anywhere?"

Regina looked at the woman beside her and studied her facial expression. There was nothing that says she's trying to coax the truth from her, but knowing Emma and her ability to tell if 'she' was lying or not is somewhat problematic. "Have you seen a decent parking area in this part of the town?" the brunette saw the woman shook her head no, "There is your answer,"

Emma just looked at the woman who had turned her focus in front, "So does that mean you live in the area?"

Regina sighed, another slip. _Damn, if they stayed together long enough, she wonders how long will it take for her to slip the fact that she's faking her amnesia! Argh Emma Swan_! "Why, are you living in this area?"

_I can tell a deflection when I hear one, but well, she is my boss, she should be weary of who knows where she lives. She can't have a stalker right now, especially since she has no magic to rely on to!_ "No Miss Miller, just curious I guess."

And there was that evil smirk on her face that the blonde missed. This was solely used on her, back when she and the mayor were upping their game to get Henry. Now that she won and got Henry, it feels wrong... everything felt so wrong, she have Henry but both of them lost. And if they never get the woman back, she wonders if she'll ever know the feeling of being a winner. She looked at the woman who stood as she faced her left, she followed her gaze to see their bus coming.

"You know Miss Swan," she saw the woman looked at her, "Curiosity killed the cat,"

Emma smiled, "Good thing I'm a puppy then."

_And then she does that... how can she be so annoying and yet adorable at the same time? Another genes she got from her oh so idiotic parents_! "And FYI Miss Swan," she smiled, "I can't drive," and that wasn't a total lie. _I can't drive stick, too bad I've only learned to drive automatic!_

Regina sighed in relief when the bus stopped in front of them before the blonde can reply. Save by the bus, she thought. And how lucky that there are two separate benches with one seat available each, which means the woman cannot sit beside her.

Emma sighed, trying to contain her disappointment at the bus untimely arrival, and then at the lost opportunity of sitting beside the woman. _Damn seat availability!_

-0-

"I got an idea how to get closer to your mother," Emma said as she and Henry dig in their Chinese dinner.

"Really?" He watched his blonde mother nod her head, "What?!" he frowned when his mom just smiled, "Emma! stop making it a suspense, this isn't a movie or a series' episode!"

"We could have been..."

"Emma!" he whined,

"Alright, I was thinking I'll volunteer on teaching your mother to drive."

Here Henry stopped eating and looked at his birthmother as if she grew another head, "Ah she knows how to drive, she's a good driver in Storybrooke."

Emma grinned, "Perhaps she forgot how to drive since she has amnesia..."

"If she forgot how to drive then she should have forgotten how to speak or how to read, Emma, amnesia doesn't work that way!"

"Said the genius!"

"I read on it!"

"Alright, I was thinking of teaching her to drive my bug. She might remember how to drive an automatic, but I know she cannot drive stick even if her life depended on it."

"What? She's gonna kill you! You know how she hate the bug!"

"Well she doesn't know that right? She has no memory of hating it."

Henry raised one brow, "You got a point but..." she frowned, "I'll bet my ass..."

"Henry!"

"... the moment she saw your bug, the very first memory she'll regain is her dislike of it!"

"Hah! What do you know, that might be the one thing she'll never remember."

"Five dollars..."

Emma looked at her son who is sporting an expression so Regina like, it hurts, "Deal,"

-0-

"Second night I caught you drinking with Johny, Emma problem?"

Regina looked up at the other blonde woman in her life, standing in front of the porch swing, "My cover slipped twice," and frowned when the blonde grinned, "Nothing to grin about!"

"Well, did she caught your slip?" Aire asked sitting down at the swing and hurriedly snatching the still half full glass and hurriedly drank everything in one go, "Ahhhh!" she growled at the hell she imbibed.

"Should teach you not to drink someone else drink,"

"I know but I needed it," she took a deep breath and release it, "So?"

"I'm lucky Emma Swan comes from a long line of idiots,"

"So she didn't get the slip," Regina shrugged her shoulders. "So why are you drinking again,"

"She might be living in the community, and that's a big problem."

"Why'd you think that?"

The brunette looked at the woman, "What would I think? We seemed to be waiting at the same bus station so..."

"Oh, that's because she checks in every morning at the bail bonds office opposite the station."

Regina's eyes widened, "Oh,"

"I don't know where she lives..."

"I'm not interested."

Aire smiled, "Yeah yeah you're not interested,"

"Mock me Aire, I may need to replace my housemate..."

"Touché!"

TBC

Replaced this and did some edits on typographical errors, it seems typing on ipad means I have to copy paste here and at tumblr and the italics are not coded. As per my usual format, in a story made in third person, the lines in first person are usually italicized to denote thoughts of the focused person, it just so happen the coding are not shown when I typed at google docs and office suite in ipad. Reviewer, ao3guest (cant reply since PM is disabled for him/her) pointed it to me, so i decided to enail my work to me and replaced this by uploading my original version plus some editing. Having no beta was my constant problem along with my grammar, and yes, English is not my primary language. Thank you for reading and for the review, appreciate them!.


	9. Chapter 9

**WAITING FOR THE BUS**

_Nine_

[A little more than a week passed]

Regina was once again waiting at the bus station. In the last week - minus Wednesday and Thursday which she found to be Emma's off days - she found she was getting used to the blonde's presence. Of course that is with her still pretending to not remember. She was sure _this_ blonde woman in her life right now would not take her 'lying' well. She thought, right after that night Aire talked her out of this insane idea, that she wouldn't care if Emma takes her faking amnesia well or not. Aire was right, what is there to fear? She's not in Storybrooke, she already lost Henry and even though her heart was telling her that she should work hard to get Henry's love back, her mind tells her that its not important anymore. She had done everything in her power to be a good mother to Henry. She might have been strict but as far as she could remember, she had given everything to him...

Yet _he_ still chose the woman who gave him up over _her. _So maybe it's time she choose herself over him.

She shook her head as her mind went tangential at the mention of Henry. But really, her friend was right, she has nothing to lose anymore because she had already lost it all. Her usual contact with the blonde is here, at this bus station when they wait for their ride to work. Her everyday routine of inspecting everything in her store was reduced to twice a week to minimize the chance of her bumping into the woman. She also checked on the woman's address and discovered that the woman is making an extra effort to be in this station and take her bus here when she could have ridden a direct route to the store from her part of the town, now she wasn't sure if she should berate herself because she shouldn't be thinking much about it. Emma Swan is just being her usual annoying self and that's that.

Further musing was interrupted when she heard a loud car horn, and when she found what's making the noise, her jaw almost fell. There behind a bus was Emma Swan's death trap, and there was the woman, waving at her – smiling brightly.

Regina frowned and decided to ignore the woman, but as usual, the blonde was not deterred. She got out of her car, left the engine running, slammed the door – because Regina was sure, there is no other way to close that car's door but to slam it shut – and hurriedly walked towards her, stopping just beside the bench where she was sitting.

"Hi Miss Miller," the blonde woman said smiling at the faking woman.

"Miss Swan?"

"I just got my car back from the garage and decided to drive to work, then I saw you here I thought..." the taller employee looked back at her car and then at her boss, "...ah, maybe I'd give you a ride to work? I mean, our bus is usually full by this time of the...day..." the rise and fall of the brunette's eyebrow was enough to make the other woman falter.

Regina stood and eyed the monstrosity that the Sheriff cum stacker calls a car, "I think I'd rather take the bus Miss Swan. I'm sure to get to the store in one piece that way."

Emma frowned, "My car is alright, it may be old but its reliable... its constant!" then she looked at her watch, "Besides Miss Miller, I think the bus is going to be late."

That arch brow never returned to its usual place, "I could afford to be late, I am the CEO..."

"Is that how you want your employees to see you then? Someone who doesn't care to come at work late? And then expect your employees to what? Be punctual all the time?"

"Miss Swan..." Regina growls, "I am your boss and I don't appreciate you..." her tirade was stopped by the driver of the bus currently waiting.

"Hey," she shouted at the people waiting, "You should probably take a cab, your bus isn't coming anytime soon, driver radioed, got all tires flat!" he shook his head as he tried hard not to laugh out loud before pressing the door control to close it. Then he revved his engine and moved out.

Regina looked at the sheepish grin on the other woman's face, "That's a lot of people wanting to get a cab now." a low growl came from the smaller woman's throat. "My car is available."

The brunette took a deep breath, "Come to think of it Miss Swan, your timing is so perfect..." she said as she begrudgingly walked towards the yellow Volkswagen.

Emma raised both hands in surrender, "I have nothing to do with the flat tires," she said as she opened the passenger's door forcefully.

"I wonder how you don't get hernia just from opening your car door."

"Nope, I got muscles for those." she said raising one arm and flexing muscles covered with her red jacket. That caused the brunette woman to roll her eyes. _Typical of Miss Swan of course!_ She thought, and then she grimaced as she slid onto the passenger seat.

"I cleaned the interior, vacuumed it too!" The blonde said as she sat behind the wheel and loudly slammed her door shut, "Seat belt please?" she smiled at the brunette.

"Would it make a difference? I doubt this will run more than 20kph."

"Better safe than sorry then? And FYI Miss Miller, I can go as fast as 60."

She pull the belt to her front and looked, "If I don't die from vehicular accident, I'll die from tetanus..."

"At least you'll get to work first." Emma said before shifting gear and move on.

"That's not reassuring Miss Swan."

No answer but just that genuine smile on the blonde's face that Regina saw Emma use for their son.

-0-

"So what did mom say?" Henry asked in between bites of his extra large cheeseburger.

Emma sighed, "She said things that says she hates my bug, but I'm sure your mom secretly loves it." she smiled, "I haven't told her about my plan yet, I'm still gathering enough courage to ask her." and then she took a piece of french fries, dipped it in hot ketchup and dunk it in her mouth.

Henry raised one brow which reminds the blonde woman where he got the expression from, "You sound like you're asking my mom to a date." And that was said while Emma was drinking some coke, that which now seemed to go down the wrong tube from shock at Henry's analysis and made the woman coughed hard. "Oh shit Emma, drink!" Henry hurriedly shove a glass of his coke to her but his mother swatted it away as she tried to contain her body's reflex that is now bringing tears to her eyes.

"He-Henry!" Emma growled as the coughing fit dies down, she wheezed, her hands grabbed both sides of their table.

"What? I was just curious!"

"S-stop it," she took a deep breath and when it wasn't painful anymore she relaxed, "If you don't stop that kind of idea, I may just remove you from this mission. I can just send you back to your grandparents..."

The boy frowned, "You know and I know that you will not do that. Besides, what's wrong about thinking about you two being together? Maybe it's the only way we could get mom back. I am not sure she'd really want to do anything with me once we restore her memories, I threw her away and I can't get her back."

Emma shook her head, "That's not true Henry,"

"Yes it is!"

Emma stood, "When did you stop believing?" she said eyeing down her son.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, "It's just a gut feeling..."

"We will get your mom back, that's my gut feeling."

Henry beamed, "And when did you become the believer?" his mother's answer was a mirror of his. He stood and mother and son exited the fast food chain.

-0-

[Next Day]

Regina was interrupted by her phone ringing. Seeing that the call came from Jed, she pressed the receive button and put the call on speaker. "Jed?"

"I'm sorry Ms. Miller, I know you said not to interrupt you but a Ms. Swan is here to see you."

Regina looked at the phone as if it grew a head, "Ms. Swan? Does she have an appointment?"

"Yes, she is your 12 pm Ms. Miller," that brought her brow to raise. Knowing Jed to keep her schedule well organized, and that he could handle difficult visitors and clients making only the important ones to get through, Ms. Swan must have something.

_Is she resigning?_

She was not sure if she'd be delighted or not. She frowned because she should just be rejoicing and there should be no other feelings for her, she wants the blonde out of her hair, right? "Send her in," A few minutes later, a sheepish looking Emma Swan entered her office. "Ms. Swan,"

The blonde stood in front of her, "I'm not going to take much of your time since I know that you are busy..."

-0-

[Few minutes earlier,]

Jed's attention was caught by a soft knock at his door. When he looked up, he saw a very attractive, blonde woman in savemore apron. She was all smiles and a very large cup of steaming hot cocoa was in her hand. "Yes?" he asked.

"Hi, my name is Emma Swan." She said watching the assistant eye her large take out cup of hot cocoa as if she was holding the woman of his dreams (or man, whatever suit him). She smiled, she overheard from the cafeteria that the CEO's assistant would do anything for a hot cup of cocoa, his favorite since the CEO/Owner banned said drink in her office. Emma stepped close to the man and put said cup on top of his table.

Jed frowned, "That's not allowed in here,"

"She doesn't have to know." She grinned when she saw the warring emotions in the man's face. There probably are voices in his ears, one of a devil him and one angel arguing what to do.

"What do you want?" She saw the man slowly creeping his hand towards the treat. The devil him won, doesn't it always?

"Audience with the boss? I won't take long. And this is important, though not business in nature."

"She's busy... and you need an appointment to see her."

"Doesn't she have a break?"

"Rarely,"

"Please? It has cinnamon and whipped cream." she grinned wider.

The deep intake of breath and the resolute expression on his face told Emma that she'd won him over. She saw him take a schedule book and opened it, wrote something and then took the phone. When she heard to whom he was talking to, the grin dropped and she smiled genuinely which widened when she was told to enter.

_Hook, Line and sinker!_

_-0-_

"I'm not going to take much of your time since I know that you are busy..."

"Very well then, what important matter is this about Ms. Swan?"

Emma smiled nervously, she started digging her toes to the floor as she gathers all the courage she had procured in the two days since she had concocted the plan in her head. "Ms. Miller... I was thinking..."

A little bit longer lull in the blonde's part. "Go on Ms. Swan, I don't bite." The blonde closed her eyes as that sneer the other woman on her face reminded her of the mayor she used to...

_What? Hate... no she doesn't hate her, hate is such a strong word._

"I remember you saying you can't drive, I thought I'd offer to teach you."

Regina's jaw would have fell if she had no super control of her emotions. "WHAT?"

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Ten_

"So you'd rather buy a car in my name than let Ms. Swan drive you to work?" Aire said grinning. She was finishing her second cup of double espresso at the Starbucks where she and Danny were waiting for the papers to a brand new car to finish. It was Saturday morning when she was surprised by her housemate about a sudden desire to buy a car but that she needs it in _her_ name.

"It's not free Aire, you're driving me back and forth from home to work and work to home."

"Why can't you just learn how to drive? Doesn't Swan offered to teach you?"

Danny frowned, "How does she do it?"

"Do what?"

"I don't know, no matter how I change my schedule to go to work, she keeps showing up!"

A laugh from the blonde, "Maybe you two think alike so much, she already know your moves and the next. She'll probably trample you over chess again and again or you two would be stalemate every time." she grinned, "besides, Emma is willing to take you from the bus station to work and back every day, she'd probably do it in her off days too if you ask her!" She leveled the stare her friend gave her. "You know what I think?"

Danny raise one brow, "Why do I have a feeling I wouldn't like what you are thinking?"

"Emma is in love with you. She was waiting there at the bus station when the bus hit her head on. And you're the bus." Aire was saying it with her brows playing up and down on her face.

"Are you sure you're drinking espresso and not rhum?" she winced, _ugh I hate rhum_

"What else would I think? That's hard work and dedication! If I were as dedicated as her, and if Nevi isn't so in love with me, I'd probably be the woman of her dreams! Actually, I think she matches you. From how you tell me how she actually acts around you, she isn't scared of you."

Danny rolled her eyes, "She never is," _or was, yes, she keeps me on my feet and I was the EVIL Queen! _"Okay, maybe I should just cancel this purchase or, I'd ask Jed and I'm sure he'll be willing to do this." She pose as if she was standing.

"Who said anything about you riding that monstrosity Emma Swan called a car? Stop putting that thought in my head Danny!" she grinned.

"That's what I thought," the grin was returned, but this was wider.

Silence

"But I still think she's in love with you." There was a sudden mischief in the blonde's eyes,

"What is that?" Danny asked pointing a finger on the other woman's eyes.

"it's twinkling," she then batted her eyelashes, "... now it's batting,"

"And why is that?" Danny growled,

"Because I think you like _her_ attention and if I didn't know you, I'd say you too are falling in love with her... idiocy."

Danny huffed and stood, "Don't take me for someone who falls for idiots like Ms. Swan. I am not Neviril."

Aire frowned, "Are you telling me she's in love with Emma too?" she said standing, seriously indignant.

The brunette rolled her eyes, "I wonder what Nevi sees in you... Oh yeah, she loves idiots... you get it?" she pointed a finger at Aire, "Idiot number 4, I wonder if perhaps you are related to Ms. Swan."

Aire blew a breath, "I thought she was in love with Emma..." then she frowned, "Hey! Were you mocking me? And why am I 4, Emma is 1 and then jumped to 4, are you sure Emma and I are the idiots?"

"Why would I do that? Mock you I mean," Danny asked feigning innocence, "Lets move shall we? It's going to be dinner soon."

Aire grinned, "Have a date?"

"With my bed and Netflix." She sighed, "And FYI, Ms. Swan isn't number 1."

-0-

It has been five days since she had offered to teach Regina to drive, five days since she bundled all that courage and coerced Regina's assistant Jed into giving her an impromptu appointment, five days that she had managed to catch Regina at the bus station and driving her to work... five days that the brunette never gave her an answer.

"I don't get how you keep on getting mom to ride your car. I mean, I could actually imagine her complaining about it every time she enters your bug and yet, you manage to get her to ride."

Emma grinned, "Its the number of commuters that convinced her every time, and between riding my car she calls death trap, which if I didn't know she has amnesia i'll say she actually remembers, and riding with unhygienic, smelly commuters, my death trap is the least of the two evils." she watched her son looked at her unconvinced,

"She'd been taking the bus probably since she left Storybrooke, that's almost two years Emma."

She sighed, "Maybe her having amnesia makes her much easier to manipulate?"

"There you go! You are manipulating her! Emma we talked about not doing that!"

"I was just using _the pout_! That's the most manipulation I've ever done, promise!" she raised one hand in the air in the universal 'I swear' pose. "But seriously kid, your mom is giving me a hard time saying yes to me teaching her how to drive."

"Maybe if you try asking her with a different car, she'll say yes."

The blonde looked at her son as if he had grown another head from his neck, "I don't have another car, its not as if we found your mother's car in her abandoned mansion..." she frowned, "and about that, I wonder if your grandparents found out how it was that Spencer got your mom to agree to transfer her house and land title to his name, and how it could be reversed."

"Maybe Spencer threatened her?"

"Your mom scared of Spencer? Sure kid, and we are in twilight zone." She chuckle at the look of confusion on her son's face, she was about to call on it when her mobile phone rang, she opened her phone and frowned, then she answered. A few minutes passed before she said her goodbye and closed her phone, "SIA kid, I finally got an assignment, I guess no one wanted to get on this case, probably complicated-"

"So you're taking it? Why? If their regulars won't take it, and those before you won't too, then why would you?"

Emma shook her head, "Someone has to do it Henry,"

"But..."

"Don't worry, its not as if I'm not used to doing complicated issues, I fought a dragon remember?"

Henry frowned, "I think Dragons are much safer than humans."

She stood and stepped close to her son, "Don't be like that, I'd rather face human maniacs than dragons, its what I am used to. I don't need to go into battle blind, right?"

"You'll be careful then? I don't want to end up running this mission solo."

"I am always careful," she saw Henry's brows raise silently saying, _you, careful?_ "Hey I am careful, my middle name is CAREFUL and my last name is DANGER."

"And here I thought you're a Swan."

Emma grinned, "That too," she took her jacket that was hanged at the back of her chair, "Lock up kid, and make sure you don't get over board with your games, you got bags under your eyes."

"What, you're leaving now? As in right now?" He saw his mother nod, "Can't it wait tomorrow?"

"I'm not off tomorrow kid, besides if I get started on this early on, I could finish the assignment early... then we'll got money for extra ice cream and pizza."

Henry frowned, "Call me at least every hour or leave me a message, I need to know you're alright."

"You should be sleeping..."

"I won't be able to sleep if I don't know what's going on with you, promise me."

Emma sighed, "I promise."

"Okay,"

The blonde leaned and gave her son a kiss on the head, "Be good kid, no partying in here while I'm out, and NO GIRLS in your bedroom!"

"Haha funny Emma."

"Good night Henry, lock up." Then she wore her jacket and left.

-0-

As it turned out, her bounty was an easy target. His name was Adan Martin, 34 years old, a known junkie but lately was apprehended for actually pushing drugs. About three days ago, he jumped his bail and knowing that SIA was a decent agency, they had suspected an inside job either from the office or someone from the government and these suspicions was the reason SIA decided to give the case on satellite agents than to the regulars since all the regulars are under investigation at the moment.

A day after A.M. Jumps bails, a homicide report came to the agency's attention and all proof leads to him being the perpetrator. This man's case was not what shook Emma, but it was the victim. The picture of the woman murdered resembled Regina so much, from the hair down to her toes, ethinicity, height, eye color, possibly even her weight. Now Emma needs to know if this is a case of missed identity or if the murder was committed to send a message to the brunette because...

There at the crime scene as per photograph was a single stationary, not even folded and saying: DEAL IS OFF and what bothers her the most was that the stationary bears the logo of the townhall of Storybrooke.

Perhaps she had been prolonging this mission of hers for far too long. Regina needs to remember, she needs Henry to kiss his mother ASAP and break the damn curse.

-0-

It was 2am when she finally crept inside their dark apartment, took a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch. She was tired, she haven't started running after Adan because her brain was fast moving to how she and Henry is going to go about breaking Regina's curse. Finding the man was easier than actually making Regina remember. Then her brain went to Storybrooke, who in there would want Regina dead? Okay granted they all wanted her dead the very first day the dark curse broke, Rumplestiltkin even sic a wraith on Regina, but the woman had left the town, they left everyone alone and even accepted having her memories of Henry erased to escape the pain, who would be that angry at Regina that he or she will sic out an outsider to kill Regina and in another state?!

And that message: deal is off...

If she didn't know that Mr. Gold is under a sleeping curse or he will die from Hook's poison, she would absolutely have him as his first suspect, the guy is tricky and who knows how many unsuspecting regular people worked for him? But he can't have written it, not now at least. Belle perhaps? But the woman is more a goody two shoes than her own mother!

DEAL... maybe Whale? He is frankenstein and according to Henry he had made deals with Rumple before and even with Regina once. But she doubts Whale's satellite could go as far as New York. _Jefferson?_ She shook her head. He was content having Paige err... Grace back. As a matter of fact, the moment he learned that Regina was out of town, he was the one who shouted 'good riddance' and from then, he seemed to be happy not having the woman in town plus she doubts he has any connection at all, his life revolves around him and his daughter and that's it.

So right now, all she could think of that maybe has this strong connection to the outside world will be Spencer, or King George, he was the DA for 28 years, way back during the cursed period, if only she could make Regina remember and tell her what deal she had made with the sleazy, old man.

"I didn't think you'd be coming home until the morning," Emma's musing was cut by Henry who finally talked. He heard his birthmother come in so he went out of his room but decided to remain quiet because Emma seemed to be in deep thought. "I was worried you'd get a migraine, I have to stop you." he grinned.

The blonde mother scowled, "Why would I get migraine? And stop me from what?"

"There's actually only one answer to that question,"

"What?" she asked with one raised brow.

"You're thinking deeply," The grin on his face widened. He ducked when one throw pillow was actually thrown his way.

"You are your mother's son!" Emma shouted, but there was a genuine smile on her face. "And since I have open this up now, Kid... we need to move fast."

Henry frowned, "Fast? What are we moving?"

"We need to break your mother's curse, as in pronto." The scowl on the boy deepened.

"Does this have to do with your case?"

"Not sure, but you know me and intuition, I got a very bad feeling about this and I think, if my intuition is right, the only way to protect your mother is if she remembers."

"You are going to tell me right?"

"Not right now kid, but I will let you in the story once we get your mom's memory back." She smiled, "You're coming with me at work tomorrow." She saw the sudden change in Henry's demeanor.

"What if I can't break the curse?"

"You love your mom don't you?"

"I do!"

"So I don't see how you're going to fail."

"Does she still love me?"

"Oh Henry," Emma stood, stepped close to her son and lay one arm around his shoulder. "Your mom may not remember you, but you and I know there's no one in this world that loves you like your mom does. You are your mom's world."

"And I broke her world, remember?"

Emma sighed, "You can keep thinking that Henry, but that's not going to help us with this mission. When everyone else does not believe that fairy tales are indeed true, you believed, you made us all believe, now we need that Henry more than ever."

"And if I fail even if I believe?"

"Then we'll figure out something else, we can probably just abduct your mother back to Storybrooke and hope that the return of her magic would be a blessing in disguise."

Silence

"Okay, I'm scared though."

"Me too."

"You better go to sleep then Emma, we can't have you incapable tomorrow because you had a headache."

"Still with that? The joke is getting old."

Henry grinned, "Yeah, but it still works!"

Mother and son then decided to call it a night.

**TBC**

Maybe three more chapters? Maybe...


	11. Chapter 11

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Eleven_

[Storybrooke]

Mary Margaret almost run to her kitchen where she left her mobile phone when it rang. Emma had been updating them bimonthly on how their mission in finding Regina had gone, and now that they found her, the update was about how the brunette woman is faring in the non magical world and their strategy in making the woman remember. Just yesterday, Emma phoned her so getting a call from Emma must be something.

"Emma?" she looked at the clock, 3:25 am

"_Why aren't you sleep yet?"_

"Why aren't you? And for your information daughter of mine, I was sleeping – or tying to sleep – and I have to get up because my phone rang, so this must be something urgent." she looked back to see David sleepily stepping close to her. She mouthed "Emma" to him who nodded in understanding and chose to sit on one of the high stool I front of the kitchen bar.

"_Someone I think wants Regina dead,"_

Snow smiled, "That's nothing new honey," she could hear her daughter sighing over the phone.

"_No, I mean someone wants her 'here' dead, as in here in New York. Please tell me that Gold didn't get up from his sleeping curse suddenly cured from Hook's poison?"_

The news puts a worried look on Mary Margaret's face which didn't go unnoticed by David who frowned, "Is she alright? Ah honey, I'll put you on speaker, your father is here," she pushed the speaker button.

"_Yes she's fine, so Gold?"_

"Still under the sleeping curse Emma," Mary replied then to David she said, "It seems someone in New York wants Regina dead."

David's frown deepened, "So what evil deed did she do there now?"

"_David!"_ Emma's voice was laced with resentment at the statement, _"She was nothing here but a good citizen, she'd been a strict boss just like how strict a mayor she was, but there is no evil deed! She hasn't done anything evil since you all arrived here 29 years ago, so just drop it! Keep up that evil shenanigans and I might just forfeit this mission and decide not to bring her back there!"_

"Emma..."

"_If you or Mary Margaret still believes she is evil, then me and Henry are coming back there. I don't see why we should pull her from her happiness here just to be brought back to a place who can't see beyond the past." _ there was a sigh, _"I'm off..."_

"Wait Emma!" Mary said glaring at her husband, "Your father was just being a jerk, please talk to us."

Silence

"I'm sorry Emma," David said contritely,

"_You do not owe me one David, you owe Regina."_

"When she comes back..."

"_I hope,"_ another uncomfortable silence, _"Anyway, did you have any progress about Spencer?"_

Mary Margaret smiled, "As a matter of fact, if you didn't call now, I would have called you later. We found out who put Hook under a sleeping curse."

"_Who?"_

"Spencer," David responded, "I received a disturbance call, remember two months after Regina's departure how we received a report on Sydney missing from the asylum?" he imagined his daughter nodding her head so he continued, "Found out, Spencer was the man behind it. Last night I was called because Sydney was actually seen in front of Spencer's house angrily spouting how "this wasn't the deal" and throwing rocks on the man's door."

"As it turned out Emma, being the genie and a magical creature, Spencer let him go to have him make a sleeping curse which then he used on Hook. Your father and I had a hunch that it has something to do with framing Regina, it was also Sydney who made a glamour potion so Hook can disguise himself as her."

"_So everything that happened leads to Spencer masterminding it?"_

"Leroy didn't see who attacked him from the back, but he talked and he said he's not 100 percent sure but it might have been him."

"_Then it's Spencer, he must be the one behind the murder here too,"_

"Why do you say that?"

"_I got a case of a bail jumper for drug trafficking, now it's compounded because my man is now responsible for the murder of a woman who by coincidence looks like a copy of Regina with a letter saying deal is off, unsigned but with the town hall logo of Storybrooke. Unless you Mary Margaret sent that man to kill Regina and he mistook the poor woman to be her, then it must be him. He is still the DA right?"_

"Oh my God..." The brunette woman puts a fisted hand over her chest, "Yes Emma he is still the DA, though... David! He's gone MIA since four days ago right?"

David's eyes widened, "Yes he did,"

"_Fuck!"_

"Anyway, Sydney also said that his deal with Spencer was to make the potion but he also specified that he's not getting rid of Regina, but well, the woman left and it seemed that Regina was sure that she'll lose her memory made a deal with Spencer." Mary Margaret took a deep breath, "In exchange for her mansion, Spencer helped her to get an apartment in Boston via an outside contact. Sydney doesn't know the full name, but he heard him call a Martin over the phone during their time of dealing, multiple times." she frowned, "Sydney also said something about taking over the town and being the mayor,"

"_Adan Martin, Spencer's Martin and my mark could be one and the same, you don't think Spencer was able to get out of Storybrooke yes?"_

"Unless he wants all his memories as King George erased, no, he must just be hiding here in Storybrooke, I'll ask Ruby to help locate him." David said, "I will not put pass him to have this Martin go after Regina, we took over the mansion for Henry so that means the deal Regina made with him is off."

"_And he thought he could just rise in power in Storybrooke once Regina is out..."_

"He's probably very angry that he didn't get any of the two, so he decided to out Regina while she's vulnerable. She has no magic there and no memory," Mary Margaret exclaimed.

"_I'm bringing Henry to the store and do that true love's kiss thing. We need Regina to remember and take her back there. I'm going to work on apprehending this Martin bastard but I have no idea if there are others after her. It's the only way I think I could protect Regina."_

The couple now standing side by side talking over the phone moved to their room, "Is there anything you want us to do here?"

"_Just find Spencer, you might be right, he's there, hiding and waiting. The son of a bitch knew we are trying to get Regina back to town."_

"We'll do that, take care and tell Henry we missed him." David.

The three said their goodbyes and the line was disconnected.

-0-

[New York, 9am]

Jed was shocked at the blonde woman who suddenly appeared at his office adjoining that of his boss, Daniela Miller, and hurriedly went to open the door to the inner office. He hurriedly stood to stop Emma Swan from entering. His boss is having a meeting with the five supervisors of the store for the upcoming super sale and this is no time for the woman to interrupt.

He likes the cocoa treats but he likes his job more.

"Sorry Emma, you can't enter," He said as he struggle to keep the door from being open.

"No, I have to see her, this is important!" Emma Swan said a bit hyper for 9:00. He looked at the woman who looked like ha hadn't get sleep and then to a boy beside her which he recall to be in the JL program.

"She is having a meeting, it is urgent and may cause both of our jobs if I let you pass, so please Emma, if this is really important I can give you the next slot after the meeting!" Jed explained a little hype now as well.

"NO! You don't understand, this is life and death!" She shouted and put all her bodily force into the push, the assistant didn't manage to keep the door so it opened with a bang startling all the people inside the office including one suddenly livid Daniela Miller/Regina Mills.

"What is the meaning of this?!" she screamed.

"I'm sorry Ms. Miller, I tried to keep her away but she won't listen and barged in."

"Ms. Swan?" She looked at the blonde woman and then her ire inflated when the boy walked after the blonde, "And brought your son, don't you?" she then looked at Jed and motioned her head for him to go, and to the supervisors, "Drop your proposals to Jed's office and we'll convene again later, at one. Mr. Lopez, please tell Jed to block my morning and move our meeting to the time I specified, you may all go." she said calmly... outside.

When everyone was out and the door was finally closed she turned her focus on the woman, "Now..."

"We stopped by the bus station but you weren't there, we waited..."

"Ms. Swan if that is the reason you barged in this important meeting, I suggest you make your self scarce now before I forget-"

"We need you to remember now Regina, I'm sorry." and then the blonde eyed her son.

There was a sudden uncomfortable silence. Both women stopped talking, the blonde one from nervousness and the brunette from anger. Henry has no idea when he should give his mom 'the kiss' but there was no real instruction given so he decided he'll just wing it. So looked at his birth mother and nodded before making one step close to the office table in front of his mom.

"Forget it Ms. Swan, there is no need for true love's kiss." Regina said behind gritted teeth. Of course there is nothing she wants more than be engulfed in her son's embrace, be given a kiss. She could have fake it, but then what? She'll also have to fake the idea of not being hurt, of being finally happy to be finally be reconsidered as a parent again? And then what? She knew herself, she will slip again, maybe not intentionally and not as bad, but she will slip, she will use magic and then Henry will hate her again. Her heart, still broken will be broken further. She can't have that.

A sliver of happiness she gained when she came here, she cast the curse for that and she's not going to just let it go.

"You remember?" Emma asked, a small expression of hope on her face. Though Henry had a different one, he was shocked, expression of hurt mar his face.

"I never forget." Regina said after releasing a large amount of air she didn't realize she was keeping, then sat on her chair.

"What? You... you deceived us? You fucking lied?!" she then look at Henry, "Our son had been beating himself up on how to make you remember and here you are aware all along?! What kind of game are you playing Regina!"

Regina's mouth twitched, "Henry is your son, you might have forgotten that he chose you, and game? I am not playing any game, I am living my own life and you come here barging and ruining it again."

"Mom..."

Regina looked at Henry and shook her head, "You better go," she said pertaining to the two unwanted people in the office right now.

Emma scowled then look at her son as well, "Wait for me outside Henry,"

"Emma..."

"Now!" Henry seemed to want to say something but he bit his lip and hurriedly walked out of the office. "I don't know what's got into you Regina, okay, maybe I deserve that but Henry?"

"I don't need to explain myself, you can get out now."

"No, I want to know why would you hurt your son like this."

Regina stood, hands pressed on her table and heaving, "YOUR SON!" she screamed. "Do you think I like this? Do you think my lying about losing my memory was intentional? I walked out of Storybrooke to lose my memory, but as like before, fate is making fun of me and all I lost was my magic! I remember everything, every small details! I want the pain to go away but whatever power is conspiring, they won't let it! For a while I almost forgot, and then you and _your_ son come barrelling into my life and the pain starts ALL OVER AGAIN! You didn't give me any choice Ms. Swan but to ignore your presence! I am not a runner like you, I take pride into setting roots, I worked hard for this life I have now and I am not going to uproot it for someone who can hurt me with a blink of an eye!"

"Look Regina," Emma made one step closer, "I know how it is hard to trust, I've been there..."

The sarcastic laugh caught the blonde woman, "You think you know how I feel, why I have trust issues?" she sat again and lean her back, "Since we are going for honesty this time Ms. Swan, let me tell you this... I've been jealous of you."

"Wha-" a hand was raise to silence her,

"Yes you were put in a magic closet and end up abandoned beside a pavement, yes you were put in one home after another, you had a hard childhood, you may have abusive foster parents, but Ms. Swan when you come to age, you run away and live a life according to your own choosing. A lot of times, I wish I had your life."

"You had no idea what it is to not have a family, to yearn..."

"Perhaps, but I would trade to have your life, being an orphan than with a complete set of parents, parents who loves, who supports, who protects. I didn't get that parents Ms. Swan. The abuse you might have with your foster parents also happened to me, but guess what? At least your abusers aren't related to you." Regina took a deep breath to try to contain her tears, "A father who claims to love me but just stood while my mother abuses me with her magic, who stood by when my mother took over my life! So yes Ms. Swan I may not be an orphan, but I wish now I was, at least you get to be free! You had a choice!"

"I never was in control of my life, even before I was born, my life was planned for me. I've been a puppet all my life, even after casting the curse. I was still a puppet for Rumplestiltskin, he made me what I am, cast his curse because he designed it that way, and then you broke the curse and I thought I'd stop being one, but I was just deluding myself. After the curse broke I still has no control of my life and the one holding the strings is no other than the son I raised for ten years, the boy I spent the last ten years loving, and giving him everything he's got."

"He loves you..."

"..._if_ I don't use magic, he'll love me _if_ I conform to what he wants, he will love me _if_ I become someone else but me. I know myself Ms. Swan, I will slip, I know I will, maybe not as evil but the real me will show, magic is in my blood, I've relied on it most of my life, so it is bound to show whether I like it or not and then what? He will hate me again, he will denounce me being his parent again, call me by my name, disrespect me in front of others. Is that really how I envisioned my son to love me?"

"He's just a kid, he has no idea..."

"He knows what he did, he knows Ms. Swan, he is not dumb, he was the one who figure out the curse, so don't tell me he has no idea how his action will hurt me. He knows but he did not care because I am the EVIL QUEEN and it was just right that he hurt the villain."

"That's not it-"

"You're just saying that because you're the wanted parent, you're the hero, you're the one that can do no wrong."

"It wasn't his fault-"

"Oh yes it wasn't his fault. Nothing is anyone's fault, it was always mine. It was my fault I become the evil queen, it was my fault you were an orphan, it was my fault no one is happy in damned Storybrooke, well maybe it was my fault too that there's blizzard and hurricane, there's war and famine, well everything is my fault, I was the problem so I remove the problem so you all can have your happy ending."

"I didn't know,"

"Of course you don't, no one knows! Because no one dared to ask the EVIL QUEEN. No one bothered to look behind the woman who _had massacred people just because she likes it_. No one bothered. Everyone just assumes if there's a problem then it was me."

"Archie is alive, I'm sorry I should have believed you, I know I broke your trust..."

"And then what Ms. Swan? You expect me to just be happy about this apology and think everything fine again? You're here to bring me back to Storybrooke? Am I on trial? Am I going to be burn at stake? Are there archers ready to shoot me before I even step over the town line? And because you apologize I'll just be happy to be treated like an animal?"

"We need you, the entire town need you..."

Regina shook her head, "of course, why bring me back to Storybrooke right? What, you need to harness my magic from me? Oh wait, the town is breaking down? Economy not right and there's no one else who can solve the problem but the ex-mayor? And then after the problem is solve what then? I'd be the next problem to be solved?"

"Regina it's not..."

"Get out, you got your explanation, you got your story, now leave. And Ms. Swan, you are fired."

"Please-"

"Don't let me call on the securities," Brown orbs tracked the blonde's movement as Emma walked defeated out of her office, but before she leave she spoke,

"Someone wants you dead here, I might have an idea..."

"Then I'll have Jed send you my obituary so you can copy it and have it plastered in every corner of your town, so everyone can start the party and rejoice."

"I don't want you dead, if I do I would have not saved you time and time again."

"You're the only one then." She pressed the button of the phone, "Jed, call Lorraine and tell her to arrange Ms. Swan's benefits. She wouldn't be joining our store anymore." she then heard the clicking of the door. When she turned Emma was gone and that's when she let her self go and started crying.

-0-

When Emma reached Jed's office, she saw her son sitting on the floor beside the door sobbing. She sat beside him, away from the door and put an arm around his shoulder.

"She was right, I wanted her to hurt so much because she lied, but most of all because she was the evil queen."

"It wasn't all you Henry, I should have corrected you that time."

Henry looked at his birth mother, "And you think I would have listened?"

"Maybe not, but at least then it will just be you." she smiled but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"If that was a joke, that sucks and hurtful but I guess I deserved it."

Silence

"Are you giving up?"

"She's my mom and for a while I forgot about it, but no I'm not giving up." he sniffled as he wiped his tears with the back of his hand, "I'm going to make up to her for life isn't it?"

Emma nodded, "Both of us kid." she frowned, "The whole town too."

Mother and son conversation was halted by a coughing sound. When the two look up, they found Aire and Neviril looking at them.

"We are talking Swan, like right now."

And all Emma could do was nod her head.

**TBC**

I'll try to fit in everything in two more chapters... but if I feel like it's gonna be hurried, I might add one more and maybe, JUST MAYBE an epilogue.


	12. Chapter 12

Okay... I am quite preoccupied with tumblr posts because Season 5 of Once upon a time started and YEY, I could feel their effort to set up SWANQUEEN! Yes, it must be swanqueen because its either that or they are trying to set up Robin and Killian together! (Lmao) – Oh no... if they are setting Belle up with Hook I'm not sure I'll like it, I mean if there's anyone who was most victimized by Hook's selfishness, its Belle (he had hurt her physically more than the dark one noh?), but then again, Belle has no bad bones in her, I just hope Belle gets a happy ending (I got a feeling they're killing Rumple or Rumple is letting go of Belle as his first act of true redemption – Oh the Drama!)

Okay this is quite a long a/n now, sorry for that. Anyway, I have no Beta and I don't have perfect English grammar, my mother tongue is not English and I write LESBIAN themed stories (yes all of them!) If any of these is peeves you, leave or I will not be responsible for your heart attack. I did warn you! (So next time read the long author's note! You could have prevented your current condition. Lol)

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Twelve_

The two blonde women are now sitting on the most inconspicuous part of Savemore cafeteria. Both were silent while nursing each a big cup of coffee.

"You dragged me here to talk, so talk Aire." Emma broke the silence as she was becoming more uncomfortable.

Aire trained her blue eyes on the bowed head of the blonde sitting opposite her, "I should hate you." Emma nodded her head. "But it's not my place to do so. I am Daniela... Is that even her real name?"

The sheriff shook her head, "No, her name's Regina."

"Oh... what a lovely name." The other blonde said smiling, "So I am friend with Daniela a.k.a Regina, I wouldn't be what I am now if not for her and from that shouting in her office, I understand that she runaway from your town because everyone hates her and I can understand why she would do that. I can understand too why she needs to have a new identity because it seems you are good at finding people..."

"I am a bailbondsperson."

Aire nodded, "And you're good at it." Green met Blue, "Someone wants her dead, and you want to bring her back to your hateful town and from the looks of it, you're not getting what you want this time, no matter if you use your son to achieve it or not..."

"Henry is also her son-"

"Who from what I heard chose you over her again and again?" A nod was the reply she got. "I wouldn't know what that would feel, I grew up without parents – like you – so in my head, I will not care if the one who raised me is Satan, if I was raised as well as Regina raised your son, I'll feel I'm the luckiest kid in the whole world."

"I get what you're saying..."

"Regina was right, you don't get to know how she feels until you're in her shoes." Aire sighed, "But rehashing what transpired earlier was not why I need to talk to you."

Emma shrugged her shoulders, "I was expecting you to actually yell at me, look, Regina and I? We had quite a past and I wanted to move froward from it. Regina has faults, but there's someone who was much more at fault in all of this but my town's people just..." she sighed in resignation.

"But is it true? Her life is in danger?" a nod of blonde head was the answer. "Okay, why do you need her to go back? From what I hear, your people wants her dead."

She shake her head in the negative, "We need her, in more ways than one, our town need her. We are crumbling down and it all started when she disappeared. The people may have tried to compensate with others but no one could replace her. No one." Aire nods her head as she listened.

"My son needs her mother, and that mother is not me. _I_ need her."

"That's why you want to bring her back, and you know that's not going to sit right by her and she won't come if those are the reasons, and since it sounds selfish to me, I don't feel like helping you get what you want..." She frowned, "...or need."

Emma suddenly lifted her head and looked surprised, "You...you'll help me?"

"You said you want to protect her from the danger coming that's why you want her back in your town, is that true or not?"

Green eyes widened, "It is true of course!"

Aire nodded again, "How does her going back to people who wants her dead protects her? Because _that_ Emma Swan boggles me."

The sheriff grinned, "I am the sheriff of the town, right now I am the sole authority in there and I can use it to my advantage. My parents supports me this time and none from the town would act against their will except one..." A raise brow from the listening blonde, "The man who orders her death."

"And he is in the town?"

"Yes,"

"Isn't it weird that you actually want her in the town where the culprit is there?"

"He's doing it even from outside the town, you know the saying? Keep your friends close and your enemy closer?" Emma shrugged her shoulders, "My point is, here Regina has no one but herself, she's putting you in danger-"

"I can take care of myself Emma. Don't underestimate me, Nevi can protect herself and we can protect Danny – er – Regina,"

She raise her hand in surrender, "I didn't say you can't but you can't be there 24 hours to look out for her. In Storybrooke, there could be people looking out for her, we could deck guard duty and people in my town have special skills."

One raise brow, "Special skills huh?"

"Well..." Emma grinned, "I could protect her there more than here. I don't have to worry about Henry while doing it, everyone will protect him so you see why it's better for her to be back in Storybrooke?"

"And after?"

Emma bowed her head, "I don't know, right now all I think about is to make sure she stays alive." she bit her lower lips for a few seconds and continued, "Besides, you have no idea what Regina is really capable of when she is in town -"

"That's why she's the Evil Queen?"

"No! She.. she's not that anymore... but -" the grin continues, "She's the mayor and she have special powers."

Silence

"Not anymore?" A frown, "I don't want her hurt. When no one wants me, she took me in. When everyone doubted me, she believed. She and Neviril were the only people who had trusted me." Aire's eyes bore into Emma, "So evil queen or not, if this is a ruse for you and your son to hurt her more, I don't care what special skills your town have, me and Nevi will come to your town, take Regina back and raise hell on earth."

"Why do I have the feeling I should believe you?"

She chuckled, "You should."

"So?"

"I'll help you."

"Thank you."

-0-

Regina for the first time decided to come home late. She reschedule all her meetings with the supervisors and decided to meet with Jed. Giving her assistant instructions in case she's gone. She doesn't want to go back to Storybrooke, but she knows Emma Swan and the woman is not going stop until she comes back with her. She wouldn't put it pass the blonde woman to drag her back and over the town line if needed.

And then the news of someone wanting her dead. She knew someone from Storybrooke would have done it. She had not wronged anyone here in New York. She have friends. She had done good deeds to people she doesn't know. She rewarded good employees. She tried very hard to be a good citizen. So if there's anyone, it would be someone from her accursed town and she have an inkling it's George.

She actually frowned at the thought. They had a deal and she made good of it. She had her mansion transferred to him, though it hurts her to think she's leaving Henry to live at the decrepit apartment with three adults aside from him. But she also left him a large amount of money for everything else he needs, besides she knew he never really think of the mansion as his home. That small apartment with the three idiots is his idea of home. Not the large house with an evil queen.

As for leading the town, that's not on her anymore. He wanted to take the Mayoral seat, told him it would be impossible but he was sure only her presence would ruin his chance, so its either he wanted that seat so much and didn't get it and he backed out of their deal. If it was her old self, she would have driven to town and incinerate the imbecile for backing out on their deal, and now it seemed George made one step ahead of her, and had someone kill her.

The killer though must be stupid because she is still alive, and what more? The killer had left crumbs for Emma Swan to eat, now the blonde will be on the killer's trail and there's no stopping her unless...

She's hurt, she felt betrayed but she had never wanted to kill Emma. Even that damn apple turnover was not to kill her, only to put her to sleep! And with how things worked out, it seemed a stupid move on her part because Henry would be there to kiss the curse away. She had only succeeded in pushing her son away from her forever.

Her mind was busy with these musings that she almost had an accident when she found Emma's yellow bug in front of her house, and what's more shocking was the fact her house mate, her friend – Aeru Simoun – is helping the savior to load things, which she would bet are some of hers, into the front of the VW car.

She hurriedly walked to the two busy women and growled, "Aire! What is the meaning of this?!" She took hold of the luggage in the blonde's (she was referring to) hand.

"What does it look like Danny – or should I call you Regina?" Aire said looking at her as if she had gone crazy.

"This is insane, I own this house, if you don't want to be near me because I am not who you think I am, you should leave!" Regina said, hurt could be seen marring her beautiful face.

Both blonde eyed each other before the taller one faced her friend, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You want me out of my own house because I lied! Isn't that what's this about?!"

"Whoah!" Emma raised her hand in the air as well as Aire, both stopping the brunette's rant.

"You need to leave Da- Regina," the three looked back to see Neviril coming out of the house with a Tupperware of food.

"You too?" Regina turned to leave.

"Hey!" it was Emma who stopped the brunette.

"We didn't mean it that way Danny, we are not going to start treating you differently just because you changed identity. For me and Nevi, you will always be Danny, and you are right, if don't want to have anything to do with you, I am the one to leave not you. But this is not about it."

She turned again, her focus on her friend, ignoring the hand of the savior still holding on her arm. "Then what is this?"

"You need to go with Emma and her son back to your town."

Nothing was said for quite a few minutes.

"I don't want to go back."

"We know," It's Emma, "Someone wants you dead, I want to protect you and I can't protect you if I am also worried about Henry. No one will lay a hand on him if we are in Storybrooke so I can focus on you."

She closed her eyes and sigh, "You do realize that if I go back, then I don't need your protection at all." She frown at Emma's nod of her head. "So who wants me dead? George?"

Emma took a deep breath, "That's my suspicion, he... he actually let Sydney escape asylum and used him to make us believe you killed Archie." she explained.

"Who did then?"

"Killian Jones, he used a glamour made by Sydney to pose as you. I think Killian's angle is he made a deal with George so he could kill Gold."

"I don't care about his deal with him, my deal with him were my absence and mansion in place of new identity and safe house outside of town."

Emma bit her lip and sighed, "We didn't let him have the mansion. He had all locks changed but as the sheriff, I confiscated the keys. He can't prove the transfer and I don't just take verbal agreement."

Regina sighed this time, "No wonder he wants my head. A deal is a deal. And you dragging me back to Storybrooke is another deal broken."

"You didn't break the deal. We took the mansion from him, because Henry is the legal heir to the house and he knew he has no claim to it. He broke the deal by sending someone after you outside of the town. All deals broken, you can come back."

"I don't want to go back."

"I doubt he's going to stop trying to kill you," Aire interrupted, "Especially since his hired man mistook someone else as you. He'll know you're alive and as Swan here said, you are vulnerable here."

"But-"

"Just go Regina, you have our numbers. If the going gets tough we will drive there and get you. But for now, you're only hope of fighting is if you're there."

"Aire," Regina looked at the blonde then at the pink haired woman beside her, "Neviril," she smiled, "I'd never really have a family and until I came here, I didn't hope to find one..."

"And yet here we are." Aire said placing one arm on the brunette's shoulder, "If Swan hurts you, she's going to answer to both of us. And she wouldn't like what we'd do to her."

"I already told her I believe her." Emma smiled.

"What about... I don't think I am ready,"

"We are sorry for our actions, but we know not to push you. We will wait until you forgive us-"

"I am the evil queen, I understood Henry's actions but it still hurts, and its not going away anytime soon."

"Then we have work to do – me and Henry... and the town."

"Not counting on the town," Regina said taking a deep breath. She looked at the now ready car, "You should exchange car with Aeru, I don't want to escape death from my killer just to die from my ride back to hell."

"You know that's what I don't get, what did my car ever do to you that you hate it so much?"

Regina shrugged, "It's monstrosity in wheels." Emma and Regina then stepped close to their side of the vehicle.

"We're getting Henry first then we're off to Storybrooke."

"I think I need a tranquillizer for this."

"I got valium 10!" Aire said ready to bolt out and get said medication.

"I'm not serious Aire." She said before yanking the VW door hard, "I don't have muscles for this!"

"I will call Jed and help him out at the store until you return." Neviril said and added, "Be safe!"

Regina rolled her eyes as she looked over her shoulder, "That's the understatement of the year."

**TBC**

This is the truth... two more chapters plus an epilogue and this story is done DEARIES!


	13. Chapter 13

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Thirteen_

The ride back from New York to Storybrooke was the most uncomfortable ride ever in Regina and Emma's life. The older woman decided to fake sleep as soon as Emma's car arrived at their rented apartment to get Henry. The brunette knew she was being childish by doing so, but the pain caused by Henry had been fresh, and she's trying to give the boy what he wanted. She was thinking a lot before the return of Emma in her life; that day Henry run away to get Emma, she should have just relented and gave in. Give Henry back and walk away from the town. Maybe she at least had more years being happy in New York, being just one of the citizens than being the mayor and an unwanted mother.

The betrayal of Emma was painful yes, but she had not known Emma long. Emma was supposed to be her arch enemy, she was put in the story by Rumple to trample her, to take her down so the temporary trust built between them was not enough to cause pain that warrants her to move out. What's more painful was for the person she raised for ten years to be swayed that easy by every hero in the town and paint her viler than the dark one. The man who had made her, the man who had put the darkness in her. He was accepted more by the boy than she who had done everything to keep him safe, fed and loved.

Come to think of it, Emma took the name of the first parents she had despite throwing her back to the system, three years of feeling loved and she took that act of kindness with her her entire life, ten years and what did she get?

If she allowed Henry to talk to her, she'd be hearing nothing from him but apologies, crying, and she's not ready not to blow a gasket if he does. He was right, she is the evil queen, and the evil queen holds on to pain much tighter than the rest. So to not end up saying anything harsh, she'd rather fake sleep. Which actually becomes real because when she opened her eyes, it was to Emma lightly shaking her shoulder. They were in a parking lot of an inn somewhere in between NY and Maine.

"Where are we?" Regina asked as she stretched her now aching back before getting out of the bug.

"Worcester I think? I don't have a map to pinpoint our location."

"So we're like halfway, we can just continue, I can drive the rest until at least before the town line."

Emma smiled, "Not that I'm belittling your driving skill, but my bug is manual transmission and I thought you only learned how to drive an automatic one. It'll probably take us a full 24 hours before we get to the town line – that is if you are able to shift stick from first to second gear."

Regina squinted her eyes on Emma, "You are belittling my driving skill." she shook her head and sighed, "But you are correct I haven't driven manual at all."

"See? I know we could agree on many things Regina." the smile on the blonde woman's face was contagious. "You should have taken me up on that driving lesson on my bug, you could have driven my precious if you did. It's not going to take more than five hours for you to drive stick shift you know."

"I don't see the need," the brunette frowned trying to contain her yawn but failed, "I still don't."

Emma straightened herself, "I have two rooms rented, Henry is already in our room and here," she handed a key card to Regina, "Your room, its just beside us and..." she took a deep breath, "I trust you Regina, even though I failed at showing it to you, I do and I've been beating myself up for failing you, betraying your trust and I hate myself for taking everyone's side but you." she looked down at the hand that held the key, "I'm telling the truth, I want to protect you and you know that I'm also telling the truth when I said the only way for you to defend yourself from King George is if you are in Storybrooke. I'm not going to keep tabs on you, I'm just going to trust that you'd want this problem to be solve as well."

Regina looked at the blonde, "And when this is done Ms. Swan? You'll just let me leave?"

Emma nodded her head, "You're not a prisoner of the town Regina. I'm not going to ask you to do what you don't want again. This is just... it may sound unreal, but I just want to keep you alive and that's all. If after this problem you want to leave, I won't stop you, I won't let anyone stop you..."

"Not even Henry?"

"Especially not Henry. You are right, he had made his choice, its time I guess he knows that all choices have consequences. He's young yes, but we all have to start learning somewhere right?" Emma watched as the brunette nodded her head.

"The woman mistaken for me... did you know who she was?" Blonde head shook in the negative. "The hit man?"

"An Andrew Martin-"

"I know him," here green eyes met brown ones, "He lives in Boston, when I got out of Storybrooke, he was the contact George gave me, he set me up in a safe house there and after three months I moved out and settled in Connecticut, then New York."

"Does he still lives there?" Emma asked

She shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. If he was in New York to kill me though, maybe he is still there." Regina frowned, "Aire, Neviril and everyone close to me is in danger."

"Aire said she and Nevi can protect themselves, and I talked to SIA and gave them the information. All we need to do is give a description to the police."

"And how are we going to do that if you are taking me back to Maine? It seems only I know how Martin looks."

Emma grinned, "Have I ever told you that aside from being a good bailbonds person, I'm also a good sketcher? I did some composite sketching for BPD once."

"Oh,"

"We are sketching and then I'm going to fax it to NYPD and BPD. I got connection still in Boston and my SIA boss gave me a name for his contact in NYPD, the sketch would help them in their manhunt."

"Alright, if that would help."

Emma smiled, "Good, I can go see you later in your room for the sketch. I'd be with Henry for a while. Anything you like to eat? Nevi's food wasn't enough, me and your... I mean Henry ate them all."

"I can order my own room service Ms. Swan."

"Of course," there was the sudden dejected look in the blonde's eyes that caught Regina's emotion but she held on to her sanity and ignored it. She may have agreed to come back with the savior but that's all there is ever to it. She can't just put her walls down just because the woman is trying to do right by her.

She had been burned so many times, had gotten out of it but it's not without any consequences. This time, she's not going to fall that fast... no, she's not going to fall at all. With her resolve strengthened, she nodded her head and turned to go to her assigned room.

-0-

Three hours of sketching and four more hours of sleeping and they were on their way to Storybrooke. Four hours later, they saw themselves behind the town line. Regina's nerves were shot, she's going back to the hell she created or should she say, she's back in hell Rumple concocted and roped her into doing his bidding?

"I'm not staying in the mansion." Regina broke the silence.

"What?" Emma asked looking at the older woman, "If you are worried that King George will..."

Chocolate eyes bore into the blonde woman, "I don't care about George. That mansion isn't home to me for a long time now, you brought me back Ms. Swan because you claim you want to protect me and that I can protect myself in here, so that's what I'm going to do. I'll be in a place where no one will find me."

"But how are we going to keep an eye on you mom-" Henry's tirade was halted by a glare from the brunette.

"I was told no one is keeping tab on me," and then she looked at Emma, "Or was it all a ruse?"

"No it wasn't," Emma sighed and looked at Henry frowning, "We have talked about this Henry, no one is keeping tab on Regina. She can take care of herself especially since she has the power to do so in here." Emma rolled her eyes, "And no pushing, you promised me that!"

"But mom-"

"And another thing Henry," Regina interrupted, "You had been comfortable calling me Regina, I wish for you to continue calling me so."

Henry bit his lower lip, "You're my mom-"

"Sadly, I haven't been that for a long time to you."

"I'm sorry-"

"Maybe..."

"I don't want-"

"That's not a request Henry,"

"Henry let it go, you did say you are willing to do anything." Emma looked back at her sad and almost crying son, and then to Regina, "I need to know where you are at least, just in case George get lucky and find you in a vulnerable state?"

"You think I am vulnerable here in town? Then its no different than me being in NY why take me back?"

"Two heads are better than one. I have no idea if you are or not, but its always nice to know someone at least got your back."

"And that one would be you?"

"You'd rather Snow have yours? Or Ruby?"

Regina sighed, "You have a point." she looked forward, "I'll let you know my whereabouts later, I'll expect you to bring me my things from the mansion then."

"Ah, so you are agreeing because you need someone to carry things for you."

"I don't want to be seen in the mansion and incite another angry mob. I'm still quite tired and to tell you the truth, I have no wish to reclaim this town anymore. I am fine with what I have in NY." She took a deep breath, "Now drive Ms. Swan, unless you want to turn around and go back." she grinned, "I assume life outside of the town has done you good,"

Emma smiled, "Yes it does, I missed my life in Boston."

Regina looked at Emma, "Another thing we agreed on I guess."

"I told you," and then she shifted the gear from neutral to first, pushed down the hand break and slowly stepped on the gas before releasing the clutch and the VW moved slowly forward. As soon as the car stepped through the line she stepped on both the clutch and break fully and turned the shift into neutral when she saw the woman on her passenger seat started gasping for breath and then folding in herself as she tried to muffle her scream.

"What is happening to her?!" Henry's panicked voice asked.

Emma could also feel her magic coming to life inside her, the same warm, tingling sensation she'd had with her since she turned fifteen. So she's used to the feeling of it come and go. But Regina - she said something about pain when she stepped out of town, and that's her magic being pushed back and now it's being released...

Her eyes widened

Along with the effect of the death curse she imbibed for her and Snow. She remembered Rumple saying she might be protected from losing her memories because of it and she had the proof that the old man's words were true.

And then she almost scream when there was a sudden banging in her side window. She clutched a hand to her chest and looked beside her to find her parents there looking concern. She opened her window.

"What's happening?" Snow's concerned voice

"It's mom... I mean Regina-" Henry said biting his lower lip once again not to cry.

"Henry Mills, we talked about this, you can't continue calling her-"

"It's what she wants!" Henry screamed. "She's in pain,"

"Magic," All Emma could say as she reached out for the old woman and felt the brunette grabbed her hand and squeezed tight. "Her own magic plus the death curse, its why she kept her memories outside of the town."

"What?" Snow and David who was standing beside the pixie haired woman exclaimed. "You mean-"

"Yes she knew us, she never lost her memories..."

"But..."

"We'll talk about this later, for now Regina just have to ride this out and we'll be going." She then looked at Henry, "Kid, why don't you go with your grandparents?" and even before Henry could answer, another one came into view. "What the hell, did you tell the whole town we are coming?" Emma asked her mother angrily when she saw Belle coming closer.

"Just Belle and Ruby-"

"Then the whole town knows,"

"Belle won't-"

"But Ruby will tell Granny and probably Leroy would over hear and then everyone in town will!" Emma gritted her teeth, "When I said its a secret between you, me and David, I mean it as a secret between the three of us not four or five! What the hell!"

"Sorry it's just -"

"Your mother just can't keep her mouth shut. This all started because of it isn't it?" Regina this time interjected as she calmed herself. In her anger, Emma didn't notice the brunette' hold easing on her hand as the magic settled in. "And you know what Snow? You should learn that not all consequences of your runaway mouth could be solve by saying sorry." and before anyone could react, Regina pulled the lever on her side of the door and pushed the door out hard, then went out.

She was about to teleport herself to her safe cabin when Belle reached out and turned to face her. "You're not disappearing Regina, you need to make a potion for Rumple so I can wake him up."

Regina raised her eyebrows, "The librarian have a bite." she grinned, "I might have been defeated again and again, and the savior might have brought me back here, but that doesn't mean I'm going to start acting as the savior and save people – especially not the dark one."

Belle frowned, "You owe me."

Regina just laugh out loud.

"Belle, we can talk about this some other day, Regina just got in-" Emma interrupted as she stood beside the brunette while Henry stepped beside his grandparents.

"You might hate Rumple, but you imprisoned me for 28 years and for that you owe me."

The once evil queen looked at the smaller woman with one raise brow, "You really have the audacity to tell me that I owe you because I imprisoned you. What, so if I make the potion to cure your TRUE LOVE then we are even?" she saw the librarian nod her head, "And what about my TRUE LOVE? How am I going to get even with Rumple for that one?"

"He didn't kill your True Love,"

She leaned in and stepped into the younger woman's space, "Oh no he didn't, just as he didn't enacted the curse because he can't. He though manipulated my mother to do it, he manipulated every bad things that happened to me so I can become me, be the monster he needs, cast the curse and be his escape goat once the curse is broken. He should be thankful I only imprisoned you and may I remind you, I kept you alive, fed and groomed while in my prison, instead of taking your heart out of your chest and crushing it with my own hand while he watches. HE never gave me that leeway Ms. French." she then straightened her stance, "So no, that doesn't make us even. His death is not even enough to make up for all the evil things that happened to me, its not enough payment for all the blood I shed in his name. Yes I am a monster and so is he, and just because he found true love doesn't make him any less."

"Mo- Regina, please? He is also my grandfather." Henry decided to intervene.

Another laugh, "So now that it's going to save your beloved other grandfather, it's now okay for me to use magic Henry?"

"I didn't -"

"That's enough!" Emma screamed, "I didn't bring Regina here to settle all your problems. There's no score counting here. I brought her back because this is the only way she can defend herself. No one is going to make her do anything she doesn't want to." she looked at Belle, "Even you," and then to her parents and son, "Especially you." to Henry, "She has been manipulated enough kid, stop it."

Henry clenched his teeth and bowed his head.

"Thank you," Regina mumbled as she watched the blonde. "You will hear from me soon." and then she raised her hands, palms facing her and vanished in purple smoke.

"What now?" David asked.

"The town needs to know, Regina isn't here to take care of the problems we found ourselves in. She didn't cause all these problems, we did. Right now, as the sheriff, Regina's safety is my concern. You," he said to Henry, "stay with your grandparents and don't run off, they should always know where you are, don't make this a game, this is a serious matter and for once, please listen to the adults."

Henry nodded, "We'll gather the town and inform everyone." Snow said looking at Belle, tears in her eyes still but nodded in agreement.

"Any suspicious movements they see, they report to you, to David or me. My phone will always be open." Emma watched as her parents nodded their heads.

-0-

"The Queen had returned,"

"The savior brought her back?"

"Yes,"

"Just as he said would happen," a grin "You know what to do?"

"She teleported herself, I'll see if she's in the mansion."

"He said she would not be going there, she's here to be safe after all."

"I think I know where she's going then,"

"Give it some time before you make a move."

"Is that all?"

"Yes,"

"Then I'll be free?"

"As a bird."

**TBC**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Fourteen_

[The next day, Mayor's office]

Snow was seated at the chair behind the large table that was unused since the curse broke, until today. In front, David was sitting at the guest chair to the right and Emma on the chair to the left. Granny, Ruby and Belle were all sitting on the large couch and Grumpy, the representative of the dwarves along with the Blue fairy were standing near the entrance.

"So what you're saying is that Regina was protected by the death curse from losing her memories?" Belle asked. Eyes still puffy from crying, Ruby's one arm draped over her shoulder in a friendly support.

"She should have died," The fairy said with a frown. "The Evil Queen has dark magic and death curse is made of pure light magic. It was made and named as such to vanquished dark power, it was the spell used to kill the dark fairy." The frown deepened.

"And what does that tells us?" Emma asked. She has her phone at hand in case Regina needs her. She and Henry packed Regina's things and then she drove herself to the entrance of the forest and walked through it to get to the brunette's safe house, which after seeing it, she was glad she agreed at once to Regina's idea because the cottage indeed seemed safe and magically protected.

"I can't say yet Savior..."

Emma sighed and raised a palm in the air, "Emma, quit calling me Savior."

"But..."

"Blue please," It was Snow's pleading and the tall red head nodded. "So she didn't die from the death curse which means something, but that is not why we are here. We are not here to talk about why the death curse didn't work, in my opinion and your Queen, I am quite relieved that it didn't worked because we all have to face reality... WE all need Regina."

Ruby shrugged her shoulders, "I've been telling you that since the curse broke. Actually, I am quite glad the curse happens, because it stopped me from turning into a wolf for 28 years. Now how many people have I almost killed during full moon if not for the newly found wolf patrol?"

"The Evil Queen may have wronged us in the darkest of way, but let's also admit, we have wronged her." Granny said and shook her head when she see Blue and Grumpy about to deny her words, "Not here, if we just think of the time we were cursed, the most evil the queen did was separate us from our love ones and made us forget and live each day again and again. Stopping time actually helped or really, if not I may not be here with you now, I'd be long dead from old age."

"We're not here for that. We all made mistakes and right now we all have to bury them if we want to keep our town." David this time.

"If it weren't for her we won't be here!" Grumpy shouted.

"Hey! No need to shout Leroy we all could hear you. But if not for the curse, then I won't have Henry. I would be living without electricity, no TV, no series, no heaters, no plumbing. So if you are not going to stop pointing blames on Regina the you can get out of this meeting!" Emma looked at everyone, "I only agreed to be here to talk about whatever it is because I wanted to keep the town as it is. Because let's all face it, how the hell are we going to explain a town suddenly appearing on the grid like some magical mushroom?!"

"I agree with Emma there," Belle said sighing, "Before Rumple took the sleeping curse, he told me that Emma might have broken the dark curse but he re-designed it so that it doesn't take everyone back to the Enchanted Forest because he knew that 28 years of absence will devastate the land. But also because he needed everyone to stay here to find Baelfire."

"And now he's here, is there a way to get everyone back to Enchanted Forest?" Blue asked. "We lost all the dust and it will take another 28 or more years to gather much to get us a working portal."

Snow shook her head, "Even if there is, I am not going back there."

Everyone looked at Snow who eyed the librarian. "Henry cannot go to the Enchanted Forest. He was born in this world."

"And if Henry is not going then I am not going. Even if Regina and Henry right now are having a hard time patching things up between them, I would bet my life Regina will not go back to Enchanted Forest and leave Henry for good. She's happy back in New York, and I know she'd rather be there than in your old world."

"And we are not leaving our daughter again." David said smiling at the blonde. He looked at everyone when silence descended upon them all. "Taking that reason into consideration, we all agree that we need Regina to keep the town going as it was. We need Regina to get Rumplestiltskin back because if there is anyone who could guarantee of our anonymity to the outside world, it will be him."

"How we heroes fall so far." Grumpy said frowning, "Now we all are relying to the villains to keep us safe."

Emma had enough, she stood and stepped in front of the dwarf. "Alright Leroy, you have quite a strong hatred of the queen, of the dark one. Why don't you take office in here and run the town hm? You want to build a portal? You want to go back? Go on, go back. You're not that big to be missed." she then looked at the blue fairy, "You want to go back to?"

"Even if I want to I can't." The blue fairy said. "No dust, no magic for us fairies remember?"

"Well maybe our new Mayor Leroy have some idea?" Emma then looked at the small man who was frowning but said nothing instead he looked down on the floor. "I thought so," She went back to sitting,

"Okay people, we have told everyone last night of the situation and one of the nurses that is loyal to Regina told me she had heard Sydney talking to someone and that it was about Regina."

"Sydney is back to the asylum?"

"We have no other choice Emma, we have to return him there. His behavior had been erratic since Regina's disappearance." David explained.

"You think he's contacting George? But how?" Emma asked frowning. Both parents shook their heads, "Does Sydney knows of Regina's safe house?"

"I don't think so..." Snow said unsure and looked at her husband.

"Maybe?"

"Fuck," Emma stood hurriedly, "We need to step up, find George..." she looked at Blue, "You think you could help find him?"

The Blue fairy raised one brow slightly and inclined her head, "We have some pixie dust at the convent, I'm sure we could use some to find him."

"That's great," then green eyes turned to the librarian, "Belle, I need you to go to the asylum and get a hold of Sidney? Try to coax him to talk?"

"I better go with Belle, I'm sure with my crossbow I could persuade him." Granny said smirking and then looked at the small woman who nodded her appreciation to the older one.

Blue sighed and pull off the vial that was hanging by her neck, "I got a suspicion that Sidney is using magic to contact King George, if he is then he could use it to escape, so here..." she handed the vial. "It's not much, but it could at least freeze him and give you enough time to interrogate him."

"Much appreciated," Belle said smiling.

The fairy looked at Emma, "As much as I hated Cora, and as one of the good people, I admit I wronged Regina greatly." She sighed, "Green was right, I should have not turned my back on Regina when she needed those wishes. The mother's sin is not her daughter's."

"Well it seemed admitting our faults is a start," Snow said smiling, "I'm no saint I know, but we have to move fast and find George. From what the nurse said, George is working with another.."

"My guess is someone from the outside, Me and Mary Margaret will try to find something about this and we'll call you when we get something concrete." David supplied which earned him a smile and nod from his daughter.

"What about me?" Grumpy asked.

"Get to Henry, make sure he doesn't get out of your sight. If you have to drag all your fellow dwarves to make it possible, then do so."

"In Snow's apartment? That would be unacceptable princess-"

"Then bring him wherever, so long as you keep an eye on him and keep him safe."

The dwarf nodded, "I'll call you..."

"No I will call you to check on him and keep you updated."

"Alright sister," he said as he turned and left the office.

"Thank you guys," Emma said smiling as she walked ahead and left after Grumpy. The rest followed.

-0-

[Same day, around afternoon, safe house]

It was late when Emma arrived with her things. When she checked the contents, she had an inkling that Henry has a hand in packing everything because all the things she thought she needed is there and she doesn't think Emma knows her that well. Yes she does in many aspects, but to know as specific as this? She was sure Henry was responsible.

She smiled. It seemed the boy knows her well. Her quirks... it's sad their relationship had to change for the worse after he had learned about his adoption. It's so sad she stopped being his mother because he wanted the woman who birth him... not the woman who raised him.

And then of course Snow White have to make it worst by giving him the book. In hindsight, she now think Rumple actually included that book into the curse, because really, how is he going to get the savior in here without it? Using his own grandchild as a tool. He should rot in that cursed state. He should just die... she doesn't owe him anything.

She have a ready antidote for the dreamshade Hook seemed to get a hold and dipped his hook in that wounded non-magical Rumple, an antidote she learned to make from her mother's book of spells and antidotes. She had the chance in the other world to butt head with the sleazy pirate and dreamshade was his poison of choice, it doesn't hurt to always be prepared. Yes, Emma and her had some talk of what have been happening in Storybrooke. Hook took a glamour spell in liquid form which Sidney made, pretending to be her, then abducted and tortured the poor bug, and made it look like she killed the psychiatrist. He did it in George's behest and then he was double crossed and then put under a sleeping curse that the genie also concocted._ Serves him right_ she thought and sighed.

And then something occurred, a realization – bad realization.

There's another soul who knew of this place, and it's none other than the traitorous genie of the lamp. She growled, _just wait until I get my hands on your scrawny neck Sidney..._

And then she felt it.

Someone is trying to get in the magical barrier she created. She stood hurriedly and looked at the window. _No, that someone is not trying to get in... whoever this is, he or she is using something that's weakening the magic. _"Fuck..."

She took her mobile and dialed Emma. Two rings and the blonde answered.

"Emma,"

"_Regina? I'm on my way there..."_

She look at the phone, is Emma a mind reader now? "Yes, hurry Emma. Someone is using something, probably a talisman and is weakening my barrier, the protection spell I cast will be gone soon-"

"_Can't you poof out of there?"_ there was panic in the blonde woman's voice.

"I tried, but I can't. Whatever they are using it's potent."

"_Fuck, fuck fuck !" _Regina could hear the urgency in the other woman's voice, _"Your nurse girlfriend said she heard Sidney talking, and fuck! I think he knows where you are..."_

"I know sheriff, I realized that too. Stop talking and just drive! You can't help me if you get into an accident." then she turned her phone off. Just as she put it down the center table, she felt the barrier gone. She then lift a hand and tried conjuring a fireball, and smirked when she was able to.

"Your majesty..." she turned and find her door open. A man was there... Martin – Andrew Martin.

"How did you get here?"

"Oh don't be surprised. Didn't the sheriff told you about the town's barrier's weakened state?"

Regina raise a hand, "I could incinerate you right now but instead, I want to make a deal with you."

"Why would I do that?"

"I could give you more than what George is offering."

He laughed, "You think I am doing this for the money? Really?" he laughed out loud again

"Yes, if not then what purpose are you doing this?"

And her focus was taken by another voice, "Because he is here to help us annihilate magic, and then burn this town down, taking all of you fairy tale folks with it."

Regina frowned, "Who the hell are you?"

The man grinned, "It has been long isn't it? You don't recognize me anymore but you know what? You still look the same. 30 years and you still look the same as I've seen you for the first time."

"Daily juice cleanse, does wonder to the skin." She said grinning evilly, "Now what is it you were saying?"

"My name is Greg Mendell..." he shrugged, "Well that's the name my adoptive parents named me, but it's not the name you know."

"Stop being so dramatic, just spit it out idiot." Regina said rolling her eyes, then smirked as she readied herself to ignite the two bastards into smithereens.

"You've known me as Owen, remember the child Owen you tried to kidnap? The child you made orphan?" Regina's eyes widened. Surprised. "Oh and don't bother trying to tap to your magic," he took a crystal out of his pocket, "It's a talisman, it's a stone that absorbs magic and right now... it's all what we need."

"That small stone cannot absorb all the magic in Storybrooke..."

"Oh it doesn't but its enough to render you magic-less for a while until we can cuff you." Regina sneered. She tried to make a fire, she did but then it dissipates as the stone absorbs the magic. "See? You can't even maintain it to hurl it at us." he looked at Andrew, "Cuff her,"

Before Regina could ran, the hit man caught her and slapped a leather cuff on her wrist. "This won't keep me..."

"Oh we are no fools your majesty, that cuff is specially made for magic users like you. It binds your magic so you won't be able to use it." Owen grinned, "Aren't I clever."

Regina scowled, "You'll never get away with this."

"They always say that," he smiled, "But you'll see..." he then looked at Martin, "Take her, and I don't want to hear any sound coming from her, you get me?"

Martin nodded and without preamble, he hit the woman at the back of her head. "This is good?"

"You didn't kill her?"

"Why would I, it's not in our contract."

"Good, if there's anyone who's taking her life, that would be me."

-0-

When Emma got out of her bug, she knew something is wrong already. She could feel it. Normally, her magic reacts wildly when she is near the brunette. Her magic and Regina's are like two opposing poles of a magnet drawn towards each other. So right now she already knew Regina is not around. The question is: Did Regina able to poof out of the cabin and safely hiding somewhere? Or, and she hopes this is not the case, was Regina taken by whoever it was who disabled the protection spell?

It was a strong one as she and Regina's magic combined to create it.

She took her phone and dialed Regina's number and as she nears the cabin, she heard the phone ringing. "Fuck!" she told the woman never to leave her phone, to always keep it in her person so its either Regina is there or...

"Regina!" she hurried to the house and cursed to kingdom come as she found the door open, and then as she walked inside and into the receiving area, she gasped and then closed her eyes to erase the scene in her head, but the image is already burned in her. There was blood on the floor (a pool of fresh blood, drops and smeared). If she had pushed herself more, she could have come to Regina's rescue.

_Damn! Now what am I going to tell Aire and Nevi? I told them I'll protect Regina! I told Regina I got her back! FUCK!_ She hurriedly took her phone out and dialed her father, "David!"

"_Emma? Where are you?"_

"Safe house... they got Regina!"

"_Who got Regina?"_

"George and whoever he is working with."

"_I'm sorry Emma," _an uncomfortable pause, _"We found George, in his room and he's dead... it seemed he was dead for a long time now."_

"Fuck..."

_Who the hell took Regina!_

**TBC**


	15. Chapter 15

I'm not writing the Electrocution scene in here. I assume the readers have seen and recall what transpired, minus Hook's inclusion and Tamara, plus I'm not making their headquarter be in the cannery.

This is the final chapter. I'm writing Epilogue next.

_**Waiting for the Bus**_

_Fifteen_

It has been exactly forty eight hours since Regina had been taken, by whom? Everyone in Storybrooke is still finding that out. Sidney was not helpful as he decided to remain quiet in his cell after he told Snow White that the Queen had an antidote kept in her underground lair for the dreamshade. It took Snow to tell the genie that Regina's life is in danger for him to speak up. He would not talk about who Spencer worked with though or who killed Spencer but he said in his own mystic way that Rumpelstiltskin could help find the missing Queen.

That brought Belle, Neal and Emma to the woman's mausoleum. Scouring every nook for the antidote. Belle with a book looked into Regina's vials of potions and spells. David, Snow, The Fairies, and three of the dwarves scoured the whole Storybrooke, including the jolly roger which now floats unattended at the dock to find some clues as to where the perpetrators might have taken the brunette ex-mayor.

Emma was busy looking for the antidote with Regina's priced possessions. At her right, with the guide from her book was Belle, looking into potions. Opening it and smelling them and with the use of a dropper, she tests everything on a cloth doused with dreamshade. Neal on the other hand was standing guard near the landing of the stairs. The blonde's attention was caught by her CB radio coming to life, and Ruby's broken voice echoed.

"Ruby... wait, repeat that again?"

_bzzz... Belle...bzzz...the library? Bzzz..._

"Hang on a moment," She looked at Belle who was looking at her. "Ruby is asking about the library, not sure what..."

"I locked it before coming here," Emma nodded at Belle's prompt answer then looked at Neal,

"Stay here with Belle, I'll go up for a better reception, then I'll come back."

"Okay..." Before she could step away, the petite woman made a victorious noise so the two looked at the her.

"I found it!" She said,

"Good, we better hurry then." The blonde said before turning her back and run up the stairs and out of the mausoleum, followed by the two. "Neal," she looked at the man, "Take Belle back to the shop, I'll follow, I need to talk with Ruby."

"Alright, what about you..."

"I can take care of myself." She said and continue walking to her bug without giving her companions a second look. She called on Ruby via the radio again on the way. "Ruby?"

_Bzzz... that's clearer..._

"I'm out of Regina's mausoleum, what's up?"

_bzzz... did Belle locked the library?...bzzz_

"Yes, why?"

_bzzz... it's unlock when... bzzz... rounds there, someone probably... bzzz broke in... bzzz..._

"You still there?"

_bzzz... yes...bzzz_

"Wait for me, we found the antidote. Belle and Neal are on their way to the pawnshop for Rumple. If there's anything amiss in there, he'd know."

_bzzz... alright... bzzz_

-0-

"How are we going to do this?" Neal asked.

Belle rolled her eyes, "Your father isn't dead, he's under the sleeping curse so his body hasn't gone into rigor mortis. Open his mouth so I can pour the antidote in."

"Then what?"

"Just do it Neal," Belle said almost a growl. Baelfire shrugged his shoulders and then frowned.

"When he is cured of the poison, you will wake him up with true love's kiss right?" He watched the woman nod her head, "Does that mean it will cure his Dark One curse too?"

"I don't know... I tried before."

"And?"

"Just do it Neal." She said but the son found hint of sadness on the woman's voice. Shrugging once again, he stepped close to his father and opened his mouth while Belle poured the potion. The two waited, the petite brunette opening the shirt of the dark one to see the antidote work.

A few minutes later, the dark web-like poison emanating from the large wound started to shrink, as if it was a tendril moving back from where it came from. Once all the tendrils dissipated, the wound started closing and soon left nothing on the dark one's body... not even a scar.

"I guess its time for true love's kiss," Neal said before turning and exiting the room behind the pawnshop where the body of Mr. Gold had been since he put himself in a sleeping curse. Belle followed the tall man out with her eyes and then returned her focus on the man on the bed.

"Come back to me Rumple..." she whispered before she leaned and her lips touched Rumpelstiltskin's lips. There was no show of light, no powerful burst of magic, no earthquake, but two dark brown eyes opened.

"What a sight for sore eyes..." He said smiling which earned him a teary kiss from the brunette woman. As they part, "How long?"

"Almost two years,"

"Oh," he frowned, "I guess I have the mayor to thank for..."

"That's another problem, someone abducted Regina, it has been two days."

"Has the Sheriff..."

"We can't find her Rumple, Sidney must know but he's not answering. Spencer is dead."

"So it's not the Ex-King who took her," he said as he started to sit up, slowly.

"Help us find her," she said, almost pleading.

"I hate owning someone favors," He said and looked around, "Where's Bae?"

"Outside..." before Belle could complete her sentence Neal returned.

"Papa," he called out smiling,

"My boy..." Both men decided not to hug, the mere fact they both eyed each other and both sure each was alive and well was enough.

"Emma, Snow and David are here."

"Ah yes, I'll be out... I may have a way for us to find the mayor."

-0-

"What is this?"

Rumple looked at the blonde sheriff, "Regina's tear dearie," he said in his usual snark,

"What the hell... how did you even get this?"

The old man sighed, "Is it important for you to know how I obtain that, or will you shut up sheriff and just drink it?" he said frowning.

"I have learned a long time ago not to ask," Belle said rolling her eyes followed by a frown creeping on her face, "What will it do?"

"Whoever drinks that will have a connection to our dear mayor. They will feel what she feels, see what she sees, hear what she hears."

"I'll drink it," Emma said at once,

Rumple shook his head, "You could be rendered weak by experience, and we need to sheriff to be able to fight..."

"I'll drink it," Snow said causing the others in the shop to look at her, "What?"

"Are you sure? We are not sure what is being done to..."

"We need to hurry up then... and none of this pep talk is going to get us closer to Regina!" Snow exclaimed before taking the vial of Regina's tears from her daughter's hand. She looked at Emma then to her husband, "Get her,"

Father and son nodded as Belle offered Snow a chair, she smiled and said "Just in case," to where the White queen nodded in understanding.

"I'll keep her majesty company, while you resume your search..." Rumpelstiltskin,

"Wait..." Emma interrupted, "... the library, someone broke in the library. What is in there Gold aside from Maleficent's ash and old books?"

Rumple frowned, "Have you checked everything?" Emma nodded, "The underground cave, is there something amiss?"

"I wouldn't know, that's one reason I came here with my parents." Emma said, "I left Ruby there to make sure no one comes in without our knowledge."

The dark one nodded, "Come with me sheriff," and to his son he said, "Stay with Belle and her majesty, I will be with the sheriff and his highness to the library." Neal nodded. And the three went off to their destination.

-0-

"So?" Emma is trying to stepped in sync with Mr. Gold, David ahead, walking briskly.

A sigh, "The Queen made a fail safe." He started, "She was not sure she will find what she was looking for in this world, so to be sure, she made a fail safe that when activated it will destroy the whole Storybrooke along with everyone in here." he shook his head, "She could have destroyed the town instead of leaving."

"So aside from you, who else knows about this fail safe?"

"Only the Queen knows about it, she didn't realize that I would have my memories intact too upon casting the curse _I_ made, and with my power to see in the future, I have seen what she'd done."

"How is the fail safe activated?"

"It is in a gem form, my guess as everyone's, if they destroy the gem then the power it holds will be release and it will destroy the whole town."

They have arrived at the library before Emma could ask more. They stopped and get out of the car then proceeded to enter the library, followed by David. They were met by Ruby who was pacing in front of an open elevator.

"I didn't know there's an elevator here, but I felt something when I accidentally passed and I tried opening it but it won't budge, I used brute strength to open it and this is what I saw. It's busted."

"Someone needs to go down there and check..." Rumple said eyeing Emma and David,

"I have a rope at the back of my truck, I'll get it and lower you down Emma." David offered,

"That's great," The blonde said nodding at her father who ran off to his truck that was parked at the front of the pawnshop, opposite the library and then looked at the old man. "What should I look for?"

"Snow's casket..."

"What?"

"It's supposed to be down there, inside is a black pouch with a single gem inside. If it's not there, then whoever took the mayor, took it with them." 

"I know Snow's casket." Ruby said and looked at her friend, "I could go down with you, and be on guard in case something nasty is down there?"

"Unless we resurrect Maleficent, so there's nothing daunting down there as far as I know." Rumple assured the two women. "But I think it is better for the wolf to go down there with you sheriff, she knows what you should look for and she could smell the fail safe's power. That way, it will be a fast scope," Emma nodded.

Soon David came in with a rope, he set it up and with the two men at both sides of the elevator entrance, the two women got ready to go down. Ruby went first and with her wolf strength opened the roof of the elevator, then she was followed by Emma.

As David waited, his phone vibrated. He looked at Mr. Gold who nodded at him, telling him to answer the phone which he did. He was frowning as he listened. "Snow used the tear, and Belle said Snow is in too much pain right now, it's like she is being electrocuted." He closed his eyes, the desire to go back to his wife's side high in his head.

"I'm sure there's no effect on Snow, it just a manifestation of what's being done to the mayor, a memory..."

"That's cruel..."

"Whoever took Regina has so much anger, if that's being done to her. We have not much time to dilly dally."

David to the phone, "Can she say where is Regina?" another frown, "Snow can only say it was dark and cold." he informed the dark one.

"That's like anywhere in Storybrooke."

Before anything more could be said, the two felt the the rope tug and soon a raven hair with red streak came in to view. "That was an easy find, the casket..." she said as she hoist herself up, then she crouched to help the woman next to her.

Emma was panting, "That was the fastest sweep I've ever done in my life!" She said then shook her head, "No pouch..."

"And Regina is being tortured," David added as soon as he closed his phone and tucked it away.

"WHAT?" Emma suddenly straightened, "Where is she?"

"Your mother used the tear, and she can't see anything else aside from darkness and feeling cold..."

"That's anywhere..."

"If the fail safe is gone, there is only one place where whoever took it can activate it, and my hunch is that it is where they brought Regina." Rumple said with a grim look on his face.

"Where?"

"The mine,"

"It's close off..." David mumbled.

"And because it is, no one would suspect someone will use it for that matter."Emma reasoned.

-0-

David and Emma were still seething as they proceed to go to the mines. Snow had insisted that she come along despite feeling weak from the constant barrage of memories of Regina being electrocuted. Emma was more angry at the image her mother was giving her, she was angry at herself because she failed in protecting Emma. She brought her back to the town because she was sure she'll be much protected in here than in New York where there's too many people who could be related to the perpetrators. But no, whoever took Regina waited until she comes back here, to get her. Show her how weak she really is, to render her powerless and then destroy the town Regina made, protected and kept alive.

Everything is because she can't fucking fulfill a promise.

If only she had trusted Regina more. If only she didn't listen to the town's claim. If only she had stood by what she believed.

"We need a plan, we can't just get in the mines." Emma said frowning, "There is just one way in and out of it."

"Me and his majesty could get in first," Neal said. The man insisted on coming in case they need more hand I subduing who took Regina. There was no sighting of a large group of outsiders in Storybrooke. The only outsider was the accident victim...

"FUCK!" Emma screamed as the two men looked at her. Snow who was resting at the back ignored the curse.

"What is it..."

"This Greg Mendel, I saw the report about his coming in here at the station..."

David's eyes widened, "We have totally forgotten about him. We really had no idea ho he get in here and we thought he will leave as soon as he is discharged of the hospital, but he didn't-"

"So there is a good chance he is the abductor?" Neal asked.

"A good chance yes, but he has an accomplice that's for sure. Ruby had a hold of his mobile and a 'him' sent him a message." David explained.

"What message?"

"The message says, 'on the way'"

Emma nodded, "Yeah, seems like an accomplice to me." she took a deep breath, "So the most we have two guys, and despite us outnumbering them, they have no reason to be careful and they have Regina."

"Agree, so as Neal said. Me and him will go in first." He looked at his daughter, "We can't afford you going in first blazing with your gun. We don't want the mine giving out before we rescue Regina."

Three heads nodded in agreement.

"Use magic Emma..."

"What?" The blonde looked at her mother,

"You have magic, maybe you can use it to get in there and get Regina out before the shit hits the fan." Snow said smiling.

"I have no idea how..."

"Gold,"

Emma understood. It is their best option right now. The taker has no idea Gold is out of sleeping curse. No idea she can do magic. "I'm owing him again,"

Snow shook his head, "He owes Regina his life, so he has to make sure Regina lives. A life for a life dear daughter of mine." Here Emma smiled and nodded. She turned her focus on driving.

**TBC**

Next Chapter will be the rescue scene and epilogue. (Wow, I'm near the end!)

Sorry delayed update, I had been going here and there and when I go home, my eyes just wanted to close and my brain to shut down, then yesterday when I was okay to write, my computer crashed! Update on Regina... I will need a boost there as I'm supposed to write the mature scene, this story is about to end too anyway. Can anyone slap my head so I can write the final chap of The Lion Tattoo?


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